As of today, US H-1B visa holders might be eligible to apply to live as well as reside in Canada. This measure was declared by the immigration minister of Canada, Sean Fraser, on June 27. The measure aims to improve labor mobility in North America. Well, this might affect thousands of workers/ professionals in high-tech industries in the US as well as Canada, along with their immediate family members.
Approved applicants will obtain an open work permit which will be valid for up to three years. An open work permit implies that applicants can work for almost every employer in Canada. In addition, the same applies to spouses of the applicants as well as dependents who can apply for work or study permits if needed.
IRCC asserts that the measures will last one year or until the cap of 10,000 candidates has been reached. This cap is on principal applicants & does not include family members.
Eligibility Criteria For Canada’s H-1B Visa Holders Open Work Permit
In order to be eligible for Canada’s H-1B Visa holders open work permit, an applicant needs to:
- Have a valid H-1B speciality professional visa
- Presently reside in the US
To apply for the open work permit, an applicant requires:
- A copy of your present H-1B visa
- Form I-797/ I797B, Notice of Action
- Evidence that he/ she resides in the US
IRCC Targets STEM Professions
On June 28, IRCC declared it would hold the first Express Entry draw for individuals with relevant work experience in STEM professions. The draw is a part of category-based selection criteria declared by Sean Fraser on May 31.
The department followed through on Jul 5 & invited over 500 applicants with STEM work experience, many of which might also be eligible for the new H-1B open work permit. Applicants who were invited were already in the Express Entry pool.
There are five new Express Entry categories for applicants having work experience in particular professional fields. The sixth category/ classification is for people who have strong French language abilities. The categories were selected following research & discussion with IRCC stakeholders & partners. This also included federal & provincial governments, who are likely to be in tune with local labor shortages.
IRCC asserted that inviting applicants via the Express Entry STEM category was a milestone in the nation’s commitment to attracting top global talent. However, the remaining were at the forefront of global research, innovation, & development.
For example, in Budget 2023, the Canadian government declared that it would invest over $20 billion to support the growth of infrastructure projects & building major clean electricity. Much of this development will need the skills & knowledge of STEM professionals.
Canada’s Tech Talent Attraction Strategy
Along with the three-year open work permit for H-1B visa holders, IRCC is also working on developing a new innovation stream under IMP. In addition, Sean Fraser stated that the innovation stream will be launched by the end of 2023.
The alternatives of this stream are being developed & informed by the feedback of stakeholders obtained via numerous consultations in recent months.
There are two alternatives under consideration, i.e.,
- Employer-specific work permits for up to five years for workers/ professionals destined to work for a company/ industry identified by the Canadian government contributing to the industrial innovation goal.
- Open work permits for up to five years for skilled workers in selected in-demand professions.
Moreover, Sean Fraser declared a return to the 14-day standard of service for work permits under the Global Skilled Strategy. In this program, Canada is promoted as a destination for digital nomads. In addition, it also includes making improvements to the Start-up Visa program, like allocating more spots & extending the length of work permit from one to three years.
STEM Job Vacancies In Canada
The latest job vacancy data from Statistics Canada demonstrates that there were almost 42,900 job vacancies in scientific, professional, & technical services in April (down by 7,700 from March & 30,600 in April 2022).
Ontario & Quebec consistently have the highest number of vacancies in the nation. In order to help fill these vacancies, specifically in the STEM sector, Ontario recently removed Canadian work experience requirements for newcomers looking for a license in engineering.
On June 30, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, & Skills Development in Ontario declared that regulated professions would be needed to make as well as communicate registration decisions on applications from internationally trained newcomers/ immigrants within six months.
This measure aims to make it easier to fill job vacancies & close the skills gap for skilled immigrants/ newcomers, specifically in STEM occupations.