Over 32000 Global Tech Workers moved to Canada in a year. This period was between April 2022 and March 2023. The news came in through the latest reports by Canada’s Tech Network and the Technology Councils of North America.
The report from TECNA and CTN includes extensive information about the Canadian tech industry and some of the top locations for tech employees. Let us dive deeper now to understand the details.
Over 32000 Global Tech Workers moved to Canada in a year – interpreting the TECNA and CTN report
This research claims Canada has welcomed a sizable number of tech employees “largely” due to its immigration-friendly national policy and labor cost advantage.
TECNA and CTN contend that the development of remote work has led to the immigration of tech talents more frequently away from traditional tech hubs. As a result, it provides a glimpse into ways in which globalization has impacted the mobility of tech jobs in North America. The report claims that the COVID-19 pandemic is partially to blame for this.
According to the research, India, Nigeria, and Brazil continue to be significant sources of net in-migration of tech talent to Canada specifically. However, rising investments by American-based digital businesses in Canada are another factor contributing to the country’s booming innovation sector. These investments have grown to some extent due to close proximity and a favorable pay gap.
More than 400,000 software engineers worked in Canada in 2022. Additionally, the country’s IT employment has expanded across the board, not only in its larger areas. Smaller provinces like Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and Labrador have had the fastest growth in their tech workforces, with an increase of 16.3% from one year to the next.
Some key observations
The most rapid growth in tech workers over the previous year has also been found in smaller, rural Canadian cities like Windsor, Ontario. This trend toward rural areas is partly attributable to the expansion of remote work across North America.
Over the past year, the number of tech workers in Windsor has increased by 28%.
According to a joint report by TECNA and CTN, in Canada, the most in-demand tech talents are as follows:
- Customer Experience;
- Microsoft Azure;
- Analytical talents;
- Amazon Web Services;
- React.js, Jira, Data Science;
- GitHub;
- Customer Satisfaction; and
- Customer Relationship Management
This information may be useful for international tech talent considering moving to Canada in the future.
Canada’s most prominent destinations to welcome Tech Talent
Two cities in Ontario and one in Quebec attained rankings among the top three. This was in the TECNA/CTN report’s list of Canada’s most desirable cities for top tech talent.
The report gave Mississauga (ON), Montreal (QUE), and Waterloo (ON) the top three spots in that order. The detailed reasons why each city is a desirable tech hub for immigrants are given below.
Mississauga
Mississauga, a city with over 300,000 tech workers, is a part of North America’s second-largest information and communication technology (ICT) cluster. Also, it is home to approximately 1,000 businesses in the information technology (IT) industry alone.
Technology innovation in the area is also regularly fostered by strong local government efforts like the Mississauga Innovation and Technology Acceleration Program. The MITAP is home to the operations of internationally renowned IT businesses such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, HP, and Cognizant.
MITAP is a program for the technology industry that “provides financing, coaching, and resources to local start-ups” in the area.
Numerous expanding software companies, such as SOTI, Guidewire Software, HCL Technologies, and Infosys, are based in Mississauga. This region of Canada intends to create a steady supply of IT talent going into the near and distant future. Also, with a population growth estimate, Mississauga would be home to 995,000 people by 2051 – a 33% boost from 2016.
Montreal
One of Canada’s most thriving tech ecosystems is present in Montreal. This sector expanded by almost 31% between 2015 and 2020. This city, which has the second-largest tech market in Canada, is renowned as a key IT and artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse. Additionally, it is the location of choice for prominent multinational businesses like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Samsung, and Intel.
More than 200 Canadian game production studios, including Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and WB Games, have headquarters in Montreal.
In terms of development, this city is also regarded as a haven for numerous prosperous tech businesses, including organizations like CGI, Hopper, Element AI, Imagia, and Nuvei. Additionally, Montreal is home to several well-known start-up-related events, such as Startupfest and MTL Connect: Montreal Digital Week. With approximately 18,000 students participating in IT programs throughout the city, Quebec also offers the tech industry excellent academic assistance.
Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, is one of the top 20 start-up ecosystems in the world and is home to approximately 1,570 tech-related enterprises, including key industry leaders like BlackBerry and D2L.
Looking ahead, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College have a significant intellectual impact on this city, contributing to the local production and development of a skilled tech workforce. Waterloo has nearly double the industry average survival rate for ICT start-ups, thanks partly to its great quality of life, which enables the city to continue luring and keeping outstanding people. Additionally, Waterloo is a city that draws sizeable venture capital investments, highlighting its status as a developing Canadian innovation powerhouse.
Over 32000 Global Tech Workers moved to Canada in a year – what have been Canada’s initiatives?
The above-mentioned TECNA/CTN report must be seen in light of Canada’s major efforts to attract international IT talent.
This is done through the government’s new Tech Talent Strategy and category-based Express Entry draws. Both will help this sector flourish across Canada by drawing in more skilled people in tech-related occupations.
Through this project, the Canadian government hopes to advance its efforts to position Canada as “a leader in global tech talent recruitment”.
- The International Mobility Program (IMP) is creating an Innovation Stream.
- Promoting Canada as a place where digital nomads may live.
- Facilitating the application process for Canadian immigration for US citizens with H-1B specialty.
- Occupation visas by introducing a simplified work permit.
- Enhancing current initiatives that support professionals in high-tech fields.
To choose federal immigration candidates who best meet Canada’s most pressing economic and demographic needs, IRCC started holding category-based Express Entry draws on June 28, 2023. One of the six categories selected for 2023 is for immigrants having experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This is consistent with Canada’s intention to attract more foreign tech expertise to its shores.
The IRCC only conducted one category-based draw for this group on July 5, 2023, as of the time of writing. Also, 500 applicants with a minimum CRS score of 486 received ITAs by IRCC to apply for Canadian permanent residency.
