Even foreign workers already in the US are having second thoughts about living in a country that’s officially hostile to anyone who’s not of European descent. A recent report from Specialist Staffing Group found that 32% of US-based STEM pros said they were open to relocation. That’s bad news for  US companies, which are already seeing projects delayed or disrupted. 

Major tech firms, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, have reportedly urged overseas staff to return to the US quickly while simultaneously warning them to limit dependents’ travel. At the same time, all these top tech companies, and many more, have been laying people off. Even if you can trace your ancestry back to the Mayflower, we’re living in a time of tech job insecurity. 

While the US raises barriers, rival tech hubs are pitching themselves as open and predictable. Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia are marketing fast‑track visas and remote‑work‑friendly policies aimed squarely at the engineers, founders, and researchers who now view the US as too much trouble for too little certainty.