Like Germany, Canada woos foreign tech talents with longer visa validity

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.