Canada's Channels for IT Talent Immigration

The federal and provincial governments provide numerous options for permanent residence and work permits to help employers acquire individuals from outside due to the growing demand for talented tech experts. If you're a tech employer or employee, this article will outline several popular possibilities.

The tech industry in Canada is expanding rapidly, and it is anticipated that this trend will continue even as the number of qualified tech professionals in the country's labour force declines. This expansion is the result of both small enterprises and major corporations, like Google and Amazon, investing more money and expanding their operations in Canada. There are approximately 250,000 IT workers in Toronto alone as a result of this investment, which is a crucial component of Canada's economy.

The federal and provincial governments provide numerous options for permanent residence and work permits to help employers acquire individuals from outside due to the growing demand for talented tech experts. If you're a tech employer or employee, this article will outline several popular possibilities.

Short-Term Work Permits

There are a number of temporary work permit options available to employers who are thinking about recruiting international talent. These initiatives are designed to enable employers to quickly hire the digital expertise they need for their businesses when there is a lack of qualified Canadian tech professionals.

Stream of Global Talent

In the technology industry, Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a popular choice. It seeks to attain a processing standard of two weeks once the final application is submitted by the prospective employee and was developed to support the expansion of Canada's IT sector. For workers who want to qualify for permanent residency, this route serves as a temporary work visa and a stepping stone.

It is regarded as a component of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and in order to be qualified, businesses must first receive from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) a neutral or favourable Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). ESDC assesses whether hiring foreign workers will have a favourable, unfavourable, or neutral effect on the Canadian labour market.

Companies who contact EDSC through a referral partner fall under Category A. Governmental, local, or government-affiliated organisations or companies that have a mandate to help local economies are frequently referred to as referral partners. The workers hired in this group have a deep level of expertise in a particular area of the tech industry. Employers must submit applications under category B if the candidate's profession is already listed on the Global Talent Occupations List.

Employers who need workers in professions that are already on the list of Global Talent Occupations, such software engineers, designers, or information systems analysts, fall under category B. The government has acknowledged a scarcity of these abilities in the Canadian labour force for these in-demand professions.

Workplace Benefits Program

Additionally, employers are required to submit a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) to EDSC outlining their long-term commitment to the Canadian labour market. Distinct categories have different foci.

a class of There must be a strategy for how recruiting through the GTS will help create jobs for Canadians and other permanent citizens.

The Category B LMBPs must demonstrate how they will expand their financial support for teaching in-demand IT skills to Canadians and permanent residents.

There are restrictions on how skilled workers are compensated in both categories. Anyone hired via the Global Talent Stream must be compensated at least at the prevailing salary.

The highest of the following is the prevailing wage:

the minimal salary floor as specified in the Global Talent occupations list; the wage that a company pays current employees in the same role at the same location, with the same skills and experience; or the median wage for the occupation listed on the Government of Canada Job Bank (if applicable).

CUSMA

An employer may qualify for the Canada, United States, and Mexico Agreement if they are employing tech talent from elsewhere in North America (CUSMA). It is a temporary work permit, just like the GTS.

The talent exchange between the nations may be facilitated by this agreement. The agreement is additionally divided into two groups that apply to IT personnel.

Professionals: The professionals category includes 63 professions that are eligible for CUSMA. Software developers and other well-known tech professions like systems analysts may be eligible.

Employees of international corporations relocate to the company's Canadian office in a process known as an intra-company transfer (ICT). The transferee frequently has a management job or possesses other advanced skills.

ICTs not covered by CUSA

International businesses that qualify for ICTs don't always have to be based in Mexico or the US. Employees from other countries may be able to transfer to Canada if any organisation has a formed branch there without the necessity for the employer to obtain an LMIA.