Canada wants to lure H-1B Visa Tech workers from the United States with new work permits
Canada is trying to lure temporary workers in the tech sector in the United States Canadian job job opportunities with a new immigration initiative called the Tech Talent Strategy.
“We are excited about the ambitious targets we have set on immigration because it is not just about numbers. They are strategic,” said Immigration Secretary Sean Fraser.
“With Canada’s first-ever Immigration Tech Talent strategy, we are targeting newcomers who can help anchor Canada as a global leader in a variety of emerging technologies.”
The Tech Talent Strategy will lead to the creation of a open work permit stream for foreigners working in the United States on H-1B visas.
The visa is widely used by Silicon Valley companies to bring in highly skilled immigrants.
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That stream will also provide work And study permit options for employees’ family members.
This measure will remain in effect for one year, or until the Immigration Service of Canada has received 10,000 applications, with only main applicants and not their accompanying family members counting towards the application ceiling.
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In the context of the Tech Talent Strategy, an Innovation Stream is being developed under the International Mobility Program (IMP) to attract even more highly talented foreigners to Canada.
That Innovation Stream, which will start by the end of this year, should include:
- employer-specific work permits for up to five years for employees who are designated to work for a company that has been identified by the federal government in Canada as contributing to the country’s industrial innovation goals, and;
- open work permits for up to five years for highly skilled workers in selected high-demand occupations.
The Tech Talent Strategy also promises a return to the 14-day service standard for work permits under the Global Skills Strategy.
Ottawa aims to promote Canada as a destination for digital nomads, workers who can do their jobs or run their businesses from anywhere on the planet with good internet access.
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Last year, UK-based Circle Loop, a provider of a cloud-based VoIP solution that makes phone systems accessible from desktops and mobile devices, published its Digital Nomad index and ranked Canada as the number one destination for digital nomads.
The federal government also plans to create a STEM-specific draw under a category-based selection to spend additional Invitations to apply (ITA) through the Fast entry system.
IRCC opens more spots under the SUV for immigrant entrepreneurs
Since many immigrant entrepreneurs set up technology-related businesses, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also applies the Starter visa (SUV) program with even more places for foreigners who want to emigrate to Canada under this program each year until 2025.
Due to the changes being made to the SUV, applicants will be able to apply for work permits for up to three years sometime later this year. They can currently only get work permits for one year. And the new open work permits for SUV applicants will also be available to every member of the entrepreneurial team.
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“We prioritize applications that are supported by venture capital, angel investor groups And business incubators and have committed capital along with applications supported by business incubators that are members of Canada’s Tech Network,” the IRCC notes on its website.
In Canada, the information and communications technology sector employed nearly 720,000 Canadians and accounted for more than 44 percent of all private research and development spending by 2021. The IT sector was responsible for more than 15 percent of Canada’s total economic growth between 2016 and 2021.