Canadian Visa King Proves Immigration Broke the Same Way in Five Countries—Here's the Policy That Did It

A viral social media post about a self-proclaimed 'Canadian Visa King' boasting about securing visas has ignited debate about immigration systems across the Western world. While the influencer's claims remain unverified, the conversation has exposed a striking reality: Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the United States have all implemented remarkably similar reforms to their temporary worker programmes over the past year.

Between August 2024 and January 2025, all five countries tightened their skilled migration pathways through policy changes sharing three common elements: raised salary thresholds, reduced employer flexibility, and stricter processing requirements. The reforms represent the most significant coordinated shift in immigration policy across the Anglosphere in more than a decade.

The Canadian Crackdown

Canada's transformation has been the most dramatic. Throughout 2024, the government systematically dismantled temporary measures introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic that had expanded access to the Temporary Foreign Worker Programme (TFW).

In May 2024, the validity period for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) was reduced from 12 months to six. By September, the government introduced a 'refusal to process' policy for low-wage positions in census metropolitan areas with unemployment above 6 per cent, while the maximum duration for low-wage stream workers was cut from two years to one.

October brought further restrictions: the wage threshold for high-wage positions increased by 20 per cent above provincial median wages, while the cap on temporary foreign workers was reduced to 10 per cent of total workforce for most sectors. According to Employment and Social Development Canada, these changes were forecast to reduce approvals by 20,000 positions as unemployment rose from 6.4 per cent to 6.6 per cent in 2024.

Australia's New Skills Framework

Australia implemented a parallel overhaul with its new Skills in Demand visa, which replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. The reform followed the government's Migration Strategy, which committed to reducing net overseas migration from 510,000 in 2022-23 to 250,000 by 2024-25.

The new system established a Core Skills Occupation List covering just 456 occupations. The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold increased from AUD $70,000 (£36,800) to AUD $73,150 (£38,500) in July 2024, while the Specialist Skills pathway threshold jumped to AUD $135,000 (£71,000). Australia reduced work experience requirements from two years to one but simultaneously introduced stricter 'visa hopping' restrictions.

UK's 50 Per Cent Salary Jump

The UK implemented perhaps the most aggressive changes. On 4 April 2024, the general salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas increased by almost 50 per cent—from £26,200 to £38,700 annually. Occupation-specific 'going rates' also shifted from the 25th percentile to the 50th percentile of median salaries.

Further tightening came on 22 July 2025, when the minimum skill level requirement rose from Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 3 to Level 6 (degree level), eliminating approximately 180 eligible occupations. The general threshold increased again to £41,700.

New Zealand and US Follow Suit

New Zealand announced reforms to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa in September 2025, introducing two new pathways. The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires five years of relevant experience, including two years in New Zealand, earning at least 1.1 times the median wage.

The US announced its most significant H-1B programme changes in December 2024, with implementation scheduled for fiscal year 2027. The Department of Homeland Security finalised a rule replacing the random lottery selection process with a weighted system favouring higher-skilled and higher-paid workers.

The Common Thread

Across all five countries, governments justified their reforms using nearly identical language: protecting domestic workers, ensuring programme integrity, addressing housing pressures, and responding to rising unemployment. Each emphasised that temporary worker programmes should serve as extraordinary measures when qualified residents cannot fill positions, not as routine recruitment channels.

The timing proved remarkably coordinated. Canada began its rollback in May 2024, Australia's reforms took effect in July and December, the UK implemented changes in April 2024 and July 2025, New Zealand announced reforms in September 2025, and the US finalised its approach in December 2024.

All five countries raised financial thresholds while simultaneously shortening visa durations, reducing employer flexibility, and increasing compliance requirements. Each moved away from occupation-based shortage lists towards income-based assessments as primary selection criteria.

Industry Concerns and Policy Implications

Employer groups across all five countries expressed concern about the restrictions' impact on businesses genuinely facing skills shortages. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business argued the changes would increase administrative burden on small businesses, while Australian construction industries criticised the omission of key machinery operator roles. UK immigration specialists warned the salary increases would make it difficult to sponsor junior employees and graduates.

However, labour economists noted the reforms reflect legitimate pressures. Youth unemployment in Canada reached 13.5 per cent compared to a national average of 6.5 per cent. The Congressional Budget Office projects that immigration inflows between 2021 and 2026 will increase US nominal GDP by $8.9 trillion over the 2024-2034 period, yet the same period has seen median wage stagnation and increased competition for entry-level positions.

The parallel policy shifts expose characteristics of modern immigration systems that have fuelled public frustration. The ease with which programmes expanded during the pandemic—and the difficulty of reversing those expansions—suggests policy frameworks lack appropriate safeguards. The US explicitly acknowledged its lottery system was 'exploited and abused by US employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages'.

The coordinated tightening across five major destination countries raises questions about skilled migration's future in an increasingly competitive global labour market. Whether these reforms address root causes or merely symptoms of deeper structural issues in how wealthy democracies manage labour mobility remains to be seen.

Originally published on IBTimes UK