The tech sector in Canada is flourishing like never before, and the industry will continue to enhance and grow to outperform the skilled workers in Canada’s labor force.
Several small start-ups and large companies have contributed to the growth in the tech sector. Google and Amazon are significant examples of companies that have invested a large sum of money in enhancing their Canadian businesses.
Toronto alone accounts for over 250,000 tech workers, and the massive investments form a large part of the Canadian economy.
The federal and provincial governments provide alternatives for permanent residence and work permits for the recruitment of workers from abroad in an attempt to meet the ever-increasing demand for skilled tech workers.
Temporary Work Permits
Numerous temporary work permit pathways are available for employers seeking skilled workers from overseas. These pathways are an excellent way to help employers recruit individuals from the tech sector for their businesses.
Global Talent Stream
The Global Talent Stream is explicitly designed to enhance the Tech sector to process the employee’s final application within the standard time of two weeks. The GTS pathway is best suited for employees beginning to attain permanent residence eligibility.
GTS is an intrinsic part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Firstly, the employers will need to acquire a positive or neutral LMIA from the ESDC before they start the recruitment process. The Employment and Social Development Canada will determine whether the recruitment from abroad will positively, negatively or neutral impact Canada and its economy.
The GTS requires the eligibility for the following two categories to be fulfilled:
Category A– The first category applies to companies with a referral partner under the ESDC. The referral partners include businesses supportive of local economies and agencies affiliated with the government. Employers hire specific employees who are talented and skilled in a particular area of the tech sector. If the occupation concerning the candidates is listed on the Global Talent Occupations, the employer must shift to Category B.
Category B– This category is exclusively for employees working under already listed occupations under the Global Talent Occupations, including Software engineers, Information system analysts, or designers. The listed occupations are in-demand occupations, with the government identifying a lack of skills in the Canadian labor force.
Labor Market Benefit Plan
A Labor Market Benefits Plan also evaluates how an employer will benefit the Canadian labor market in the long run. However, the LMBP’s focus will depend upon the choice of category. Therefore, an employer must also submit the Labor Market Benefits Plan to the ESDC.
The first category (Category A) must define the impact of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) on the jobs for permanent residents and Canadian citizens.
The second category (Category B) with the Labor Market Benefits Plan must demonstrate the increased investment process to make Canadians and permanent residents learn the in-demand skills concerning the tech sector.
However, specific conditions are associated with the payment process of skilled workers. The Global Talent Stream needs its employers to pay its employees a higher salary or wage. The existing wage must be the highest in terms of the following:
- Canadian government’s job bank comprises occupations with median wage.
- The wage must equal what an employer pays to his existing employees having the same job profile, location, experience, and skill set.
- The Global Talent Occupations list defines the minimum wage floor. It must be provided to employees, if applicable.
CUSMA
Canada-United States- Mexico-Agreement applies to employers seeking to recruit tech talent from anywhere other than North America. Similar to the Global Talent Stream, this is a temporary work permit. The CUSMA can bring about a flow of skills and talents between countries. CUSMA is classified into two categories apt for tech workers:
Category of Professionals
Over 63 occupations will have eligibility for CUSMA concerning the Professional category. Systems Analysts and Software Engineers are highly dominant tech occupations that may be eligible for it.
Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs)
When employees working in multi-national companies move to that company’s branch in Canada, the Intra-Company Transfers take place. The transferred individual probably has exclusive knowledge and is at a managerial level.
Non-Cusma Intra-Company Transfers
To attain eligibility for Intra-Company Transfers, it is not significant for multi-national companies to be located in the United States and Mexico. A company with a well-settled Canadian branch can transfer employees to Canada from different countries without going through the LMIA process.
Attaining Canadian permanent residency with different pathways
Individuals with the essential skills and talent in the Tech sector usually like to move to Canada as permanent residents. Interested candidates or skilled workers in the tech industry can choose to apply for permanent residency through Express Entry or Provincial Nomination Programs.
Express Entry
Express Entry has proven to be the largest stream for skilled workers under the federal government. The people from the tech industry top the list of those receiving most of the invites for PR through the Express Entry system.
Under the Express Entry System, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is the most prominent. This program is available for those having work experience of at least one year under the NOC skill codes 0, A, and B, similar to other jobs in the tech sector.
Candidates with Canadian work experience of one year in the recent three years can apply through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry.
Express Entry Process- with only two steps
There are two steps through which the Express Entry process gets completed, they are as follows:
- Candidates seeking to apply must self-analyze to see which program suits them best and are they eligible for that specific program or not.
- If they feel positive about their eligibility, they must create their profile and submit it to the IRCC website.
- The marks will get calculated through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on their education, work experience, occupation, language skills, and human capital characteristics prevalent in their Express Entry profile.
- Once the candidate receives a higher score, he will have a greater chance of getting the invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
IRCC consistently holds every two weeks, and the candidate receiving the invitation to apply will have to apply within sixty days.
Provincial Nomination- Tech Talent Streams
With the availability of a hundred economic immigration pathways in Canada, of which most of them are included in the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Canadian provinces, excluding Nunavut and Quebec, operate through PNPs working closely with the federal government. PNPs help the provincial governments choose the best candidates for their provinces. There are numerous immigration pathways used by most of the Canadian provinces to acquire skilled people for the tech sector.
Provincial tech talent streams
Here’s a list of the several Provincial tech talent streams available:
BC Tech Stream
To hold eligibility for this stream, candidates must qualify for one of the immigration programs for BC and they must also have a 1-year valid job offer.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program- Tech Draw
This program requires eligibility for either FSWP or CEC.
Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway
This pathway requires candidates to be eligible under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) which is employer-specific. They must also provide an Approval Letter to attain an occupation in the technology sector. Work experience of one year in a specific domain in the recent five years is required.
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway
This pathway calls for candidates to meet the eligibility criteria for the Alberta Express Entry stream. The candidates must either work in Alberta or they must possess a valid job offer from any of the 23 eligible occupations.
Quebec
Quebec has opened doors for those working in Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, and Visual Effects with its program known as the Quebec Immigration Program.
The two categories under the Quebec Immigration Program are as follows:
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Candidates who have obtained education from any Quebec college, or university must also hold a job offer and considerable work experience.
- A candidate who obtained training from abroad doesn’t need a job offer, but they will need to prove that their education is at par with Quebec’s bachelor’s degree.
IT and Visual Effects Stream
There are ten eligible occupations under this stream and the candidates must show a work experience of a minimum of two years in any of these jobs in the previous five years.
The candidates must also hold a job in that specific work field, with an education equivalent to a diploma in Quebec technical studies or a Bachelor’s degree.
