Canada has launched new immigration pathways to recruit
foreign tech talents into the country’s digital ecosystem.
At the Collision 2023 event on Tuesday, Sean Fraser,
minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, said it was the country’s
first-ever tech talent strategy.
Fraser said part of the strategies was the development of an
“innovation stream” which would provide open work permits for up to five years
for highly skilled workers in “select in-demand occupations”.
An additional benefit of the programme includes employer-specific work permits for up to five years for talents set to work for a company identified by the Canadian government as contributing to its industrial innovation goals.
Holders of the H-1B specialty occupation visa in the United
States will also have the opportunity to apply for a Canadian work permit, and
study or work permit options for their accompanying family members.
The new H1-B speciality occupation visa holder work permit
will be available from July 16 and will remain in effect for one year, or until
immigration, refugee and citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives 10,000 applications.
Only principal applicants, and not their accompanying family
members, will count toward the application cap.
“We’re enthusiastic
about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just
about numbers — they are strategic,” Fraser said.
“With Canada’s first-ever immigration tech talent strategy,
we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a
variety of emerging technologies.
“I’m grateful for the collaboration of the tech, start-up
and business communities, who have provided valuable insight to develop this
strategy. Having a fast and flexible approach, one that is broadly supported by
Canadians is truly Canada’s immigration advantage.”
According to the immigration minister, another strategy
aimed at poaching skilled foreign tech workers involved revising the start-up
visa programme.
Improvements include the allocation of more spots to the
program, the opportunity to apply for a work permit that is up to three years
in duration instead of one year and a chance to apply for an open work permit
instead of one that limits foreigners to working for their start-up.
The latter is available to each member of an entrepreneurial
team instead of only those who are essential and urgently needed in Canada.
The development comes a few days after Germany announced
modifications to its immigration laws to woo foreign skilled workers.
Canada also introduced faster temporary resident visa (TRV)
processing and more considerate application measures for dependents after the
United Kingdom announced that foreign students would no longer be able to bring
family members with them from 2024.
In a 2023 report by the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada ranked number one as the most
attractive destination for immigrant entrepreneurs.
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