The federal government will create new work permit categories and expedite permanent residency for select skilled workers.

This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire

Vancouver, BC -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/21/2023 -- The Vancouver immigration lawyers at Sas and Ing share a new opportunity for technology workers seeking a path to Canada. On June 27, 2023, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Sean Fraser, announced the creation of a new and ground-breaking "Tech Talent Strategy" to attract technology workers to Canada. For more, go to https://canadian-visa-lawyer.com/canada-goes-all-out-to-attract-technology-workers/

The Minister's Tech Talent Strategy will aggressively attract technology workers to Canada by implementing several strategic pillars that feature new work permit options, faster processing times, and direct access to Canada's immigration pathways under the Express Entry System:

Attracting US skilled workers

As a team of Vancouver immigration lawyers, Sas and Ing has advised technology companies about bringing talent to Canada for years. Unfortunately, the options were limited to non-American citizens, including technology workers from China and India who work in the United States under working visas. As part of the Tech Talent Strategy, the Minister will create a new work permit category by mid-July 2023 to attract skilled workers with H1-B visas in the United States.

An H1-B visa is a US working visa that allows local employers to hire foreign workers in specialized occupations, including those in the technology field. The H1-B visa is capped, meaning that there are only limited visas issued per year, such that American employers often find it difficult to retain these workers on a long-term basis and, on the flip side, their technology workers are also left in a state of uncertainty about their ability to stay in the United States. By offering a new work permit stream targeting H-1B visa holders, Canada can attract technology workers from a pool of vetted and qualified candidates.

According to the Minister's June 27, 2023 announcement, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will accept applications under this category for the next year or until 10,000 applications are received, whichever comes first, and open work permits valid for up to three years will be issued to eligible applicants.

Creation of an Innovation Stream

The Minister has also announced the creation of an "Innovation Stream" that will offer work permits valid for up to five years. Currently, most work permits are issued for only a three-year duration with the possibility of extensions, so creating a five-year work permit stream will be attractive to technology workers looking for stability for themselves and their family members.

The Innovation Stream will be launched by the end of the year and will specifically create two categories of permits:

An employer-specific (closed) work permit designed for workers who have job offers from a shortlist of companies that the Government of Canada will deem essential to meeting our country's innovation goals.
An open work permit is designed to attract highly skilled workers who have experience in select in-demand occupations.

Direct Access to Permanent Residency

As part of the Tech Talent Strategy, the Minister will expand the current Express Entry System by creating a new category of workers that will be issued invitations to apply for permanent residency. The latest draw category will specifically apply to candidates with experience in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) occupations. Still, the Minister has not released details about which occupations will fall under this category.

In addition to the key pillars reviewed above, the Tech Talent Strategy will aim to improve existing policies and programs, including the Global Skills Strategy and the Start-up Visa Program.

The Minister's latest announcement represents an ambitious and thoughtful approach to achieving Canada's goal of becoming a global leader in technology and innovation and alleviating chronic skills shortages. Canadian employers will now have a much larger pool of technology workers to hire from with the creation of new work permit categories designed to attract and retain top talent worldwide.

As experienced Vancouver immigration lawyers, most workers will only consider relocating their families to Canada if there is a clear and predictable pathway toward obtaining permanent residency. With the announcement of the Tech Talent Strategy, technology workers interested in bringing their talents to Canada will have more confidence knowing that they can plan to achieve their immigration goals.

To learn more about opportunities for immigrating to Canada under the Tech Talent Strategy, contact the Vancouver immigration lawyers at Sas and Ing at 1-604-689-5444.

About Sas and Ing Immigration Law Centre
Sas and Ing Immigration Law Centre has over 30 years of continued in-depth and comprehensive expertise in most aspects of Canadian Immigration practice. Sas and Ing have facilitated applications to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Service Canada and Canada Border Services Agency. Catherine & Victor work closely with other lawyers specializing in Business, Employment, Tax, and Real Estate to provide comprehensive legal advice to companies and individuals as they navigate the regulatory requirements necessary for temporary or permanent establishment in Canada.

For additional information, please visit canadian-visa-lawyer.com or call (604) 689-5444

Sas and Ing Immigration Law Centre
Catherine Sas
(604) 689-5444
Company website: canadian-visa-lawyer.com

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