An H-1B Visa holder will have the opportunity to apply for an Open Work Permit onwards July 16.
With the new work visa, qualifying H-1B workers will be able to work for nearly any business in Canada for up to three years. This will be possible with their immediate family members, including spouses and children. For one year or until the program’s quota of 10,000 applications becomes possible in 2023, IRCC will accept applications for the new OWP. However, it will depend on which event accomplishes first.
You might wonder if you can apply for a Canadian work permit and permanent residency as an H-1B visa holder.
In a nutshell, yes, and there are a few strong reasons for this.
Advantages of applying for H-1B Open Work Permit and Express Entry
While the majority of work permit applications submitted outside of Canada are processed within 60 days, some service standards, like those for the Global Talent Stream, are more lenient.
You may want to submit your application for permanent residence through the Express Entry application management system if you are already eligible.
Express Entry is the chief method through which the Canadian government handles applications for skilled worker immigration. Candidates within the Express Entry pool attain a Comprehensive Ranking System score. They get this CRS score after a detailed assessment of several human capital parameters. Overall, this score increases the likelihood of receiving an ITA for permanent residence.
If you’ve never lived or worked in Canada, you’ll likely need to determine your FSWP eligibility. This applies to candidates seeking to apply for Canadian permanent residence using Express Entry.
Additional benefits for an H-1B Visa holder
This pathway has a service standard that requires PR applications to be processed within six months. Moreover, this turns out as one of its key benefits.
This entails that you can use the H1-B OWP to enter Canada to live and work while applying for permanent residency first. As the second step, you must submit your Express Entry profile to the Canadian government’s website.
Suppose you’ve never worked or lived in Canada. In that case, you must find out if you qualify for the FSWP before submitting an Express Entry application to become a permanent resident of Canada.
A better CRS score may increase your likelihood of receiving an ITA by producing at least 12 months of admissible work experience in Canada.
At least one year of admissible Canadian work experience might qualify you for the Canadian Experience Class program. Also, it will free you from having to show that you have enough settlement funds. This is an FSWP requirement. Overall, an H-1B visa holder is in a good position to use Express Entry to seek permanent residency because they have high levels of human capital. This includes postsecondary education, specialized work experience, and great English language proficiency.
The United States was among the top five countries of residency (not necessarily citizenship) for Express Entry ITA holders between 2019 and 2021, according to the IRCC year-end report on Express Entry for 2021, which demonstrates this.
Sean Fraser recently unveiled a tech talent strategy intended to strengthen Canada’s standing as a desirable location for qualified tech professionals. The recent implementation of category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates with particular, in-demand jobs is another crucial element in addition to the H-1B OWP.
STEM occupations
The United States was among the top five countries of residency (not necessarily citizenship) for Express Entry ITA holders between 2019 and 2021. This conclusion is according to the IRCC year-end report on Express Entry for 2021.
Sean Fraser recently unveiled a tech talent strategy intended to strengthen Canada’s standing as a desirable location for qualified tech professionals. Another crucial element is the recent implementation of Express Entry category-based selection draws for candidates with particular, in-demand jobs. This element is in addition to the H-1B OWP.
Following meetings with provinces, territories, partners, and stakeholders to determine the most urgent job openings and skills shortfalls, the IRCC selected the categories. The six new categories include 82 professions that qualify.
35 occupations fall under the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) category for Express Entry. On July 5, 500 applicants received ITAs in the first round of STEM job invitations, which required a minimum CRS score of 486.4.
Software engineers and designers, information systems analysts and consultants, computer programmers, and interactive media developers were regularly rated among the top jobs for ITA recipients between 2019 and 2021, according to the IRCC’s 2021 Express Entry report. All these jobs are a part of the eligible jobs list for Express Entry STEM applicants.
Tech Talent – other pathways for an H-1B Visa Holder
Canada’s new tech talent strategy includes the following:
- An innovation stream under the International Mobility Program;
- Promoting Canada as a more desirable location for digital nomads, and
- Making improvements to current tech immigration programs like the Global Talent Stream and the Start-up Visa Program.
Despite being absent from the Express Entry application pool, an H-1B visa holder can still apply for nomination through a tech stream of the Provincial Nominee Program. A non-Express Entry application becomes significant when it receives a province nomination. This proves very advantageous when seeking permanent residency. Obtaining a provincial nomination might boost your CRS score by 600 points if you are an Express Entry candidate. Your Express Entry ITA for PR is practically guaranteed with these 600 CRS points.
Except for Quebec and Nunavut, the majority of Canadian provinces and territories are free to suggest the applicants they feel would be most suited to the local labor market. Additionally, many areas have PNPs with specialized tech candidate streams. For instance, Ontario just hosted a draw for tech candidates in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, and British Columbia holds drawings for tech candidates many times every month.
Overall, there are numerous routes to obtaining permanent residence in Canada, and H-1B visa holders participating in the new OWP can support their trip by registering for Express Entry once they have arrived in the country. Holders of H-1B OWP visas benefit from having a high human resource base and can now take advantage of the STEM category-based Express Entry rounds of invitation.
