As the United States has known since its founding, every advanced nation benefits from attracting the skills of very talented immigrants. These days, it's a global battle for top talent.

That is why a series of recent events in the United States, from the presidential campaign trail to administrative snafus, is of considerable interest to us Canadians. As the New York Times and other publications have chronicled, highly skilled immigrants with backgrounds in science, medicine and technology, especially those from India and China, face increasing difficulties in securing their professional future in the United States.



Given what is viewed as a de facto closed door policy on the part of the United States, these very talented individuals – often trained at U.S. universities and keen to stay in North America -- may choose to pursue their professional future in Canada, with its more welcoming, far less bureaucratic approach and much quicker decision-making process. America's loss thus turns into Canada's gain.