Canada tech talent immigration pathways – Aptech Visa
Canada has various temporary and permanent options for attracting global tech talent.
The Canadian tech sector is thriving, and industry growth is expected to continue to outpace the number of skilled tech workers in the Canadian labour force. This expansion is the result of a combination of startups and large corporations, such as Google and Amazon, investing more money and expanding their operations in Canada. This investment is critical to the Canadian economy, and as a result, there are more than 250,000 tech workers in Toronto alone.
To meet the high demand for skilled tech workers, the federal and provincial governments provide a variety of permanent residence and work permit options for hiring workers from other countries. Whether you are an employer or a tech worker, this article will explain some popular options.
Temporary Work Permit
An employer considering hiring foreign talent has several temporary work permit options. When there is a shortage of skilled Canadian tech workers, these programs aim to help employers quickly hire the tech talent they need.
Global Talent Stream
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a popular option in the technology industry. It was established to help the growth of Canada's tech industry and aims to achieve a two-week processing standard once the final application is submitted by the potential employee. This path serves as a temporary work permit and can be used as a stepping stone for employees seeking permanent residence.
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It is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and in order to be eligible, employers must first obtain a neutral or positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). ESDC assesses whether hiring workers from outside Canada has a positive, neutral, or negative impact on the Canadian labour market.
Furthermore, in order to be eligible to hire under this program, employers must meet the following two criteria:
Category A: This category is for businesses that come to EDSC via a referral partner. Typically, referral partners are governmental, local, or government-affiliated agencies or businesses with a mandate to support local economies. Employees hired in this category are highly specialized in a specific area of the technology industry. If the occupation of the candidate is already on the Global Talent Occupations List, the employer must apply under category B.
Category B: is for employers who need workers in occupations that are already on the Global Talent Occupations List, such as software engineers, designers, or information systems analysts. These occupations are in high demand, and the government has identified a skills shortage in the Canadian labour force.
Plan of Employment Benefits
Employers must also submit to EDSC a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) outlining how they intend to benefit Canada's labour market in the long run. The emphasis varies depending on the category.
A classification A strategy must be developed to show how hiring through the GTS will benefit job creation for Canadian permanent residents.
Category B LMBPs must demonstrate how they intend to increase their investment in training Canadians and permanent residents in in-demand technology skills.
There are restrictions on how skilled workers are paid in both categories. Anyone hired through the Global Talent Stream must be paid at or above the prevailing wage.
The prevailing wage is the higher of the following:
- The average pay or wage for the occupation on the Government of Canada's Job Bank
- The wage range that an employer pays current employees in the same position, at the same location, with the same skills and experience; or
- The minimum wage floor is defined in the list of Global Talent occupations (if applicable).
CUSMA
Employers who hire tech talent from other parts of North America may be eligible for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). It is, like the GTS, a temporary work permit.
This agreement may facilitate talent mobility between the countries. The agreement is further subdivided into two categories relevant to tech workers.
Professionals: The professional category includes 63 occupations that qualify for CUSMA. Systems analysts and software engineers are two prominent tech occupations that may be eligible.
Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs): ICTs occur when employees of multinational corporations relocate to the company's Canadian branch. The transferee is frequently someone in a management position or with specialized knowledge.
Non-CUSMA ICTs: Multinational companies eligible for ICTs do not have to be based in Mexico or the United States. If a company has an established branch in Canada, employees from other countries may be able to transfer to Canada without an employer having to obtain an LMIA.
Getting Permanent Residency in Canada
Tech professionals may prefer to settle in Canada as permanent residents. The most common way for skilled tech workers to obtain permanent residence is through an immigration program that is part of the Express Entry application management system or through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Express Entry is the federal government's main entry point for skilled immigrants.
Candidates with technical backgrounds are the most likely to be granted permanent residency under Express Entry.
Express Entry is intended to speed up the application process for skilled workers. The Federal Skilled Worker Program is the most popular Express Entry option (FSWP). This program is for those with at least one year of work experience in a job that falls under National Occupational Codes 0, A, or B, which most jobs in the technology sector do.
Candidates with one year of work experience in Canada within the last three years may also be eligible for Express Entry through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program.
Express Entry consists of two steps:
• Candidates must determine whether they are eligible for the program for which they wish to apply.
• If they are eligible, they must create an account on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website and upload a profile. IRCC will assign a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score to their profile based on their work experience, education, language abilities, and other human capital factors. The higher the score, the more likely a candidate will be invited to apply (ITA) for permanent residence.
IRCC holds draws every two weeks or so. After receiving an ITA, a candidate has 60 days to submit their final application to IRCC.
Provincial Nomination Tech Talent Stream
Canada has over 100 economic immigration routes, many of which are part of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Except for Quebec and Nunavut, all Canadian provinces have PNPs that work in tandem with IRCC. These programs enable provincial governments to choose candidates who they believe will fit in well in the province. Several Canadian provinces have immigration programs aimed specifically at attracting tech talent.
Here's a rundown of some of the province's tech talent pools:
BC Technology Stream: Candidates for this stream must be eligible for one of BC's immigration programs and have a one-year job offer.
OINP Tech Draw: Candidates must be eligible for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class to be considered for this Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway: Eligible candidates must have an employer-specific SINP (Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program) Job Approval Letter for an eligible technology sector occupation to be eligible for the Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway. They must have at least one year of work experience in that occupation in the previous five years.
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway: Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements for the Alberta Express Entry Stream to be considered for the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway. They must either be employed in Alberta or have a job offer in one of the 23 eligible occupations.
Quebec
Quebec has its own immigration program for workers in artificial intelligence, information technology, and visual effects.
This program has two technology categories:
AI (Artificial Intelligence): There are two paths to this stream. If a candidate has graduated from a college or university in Quebec, they must have work experience and a job offer. If the candidate received their education outside of Quebec, they may not need a job offer but must demonstrate an education equivalent to a Quebec bachelor's degree.
IT and Visual Effects streams: Candidates for the IT and Visual Effects streams must have two years of work experience in one of ten eligible occupations within the last five years. They must also have a job offer in that field and the equivalent of a Quebec technical studies diploma or a bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
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