How tech workers across the world can work in Canada – The pathways

Opportunities are umpteen for tech professionals to work in Canadian companies with repute. In case you are a tech professional with the desire to stay and work in Canada, you must learn about the different pathways on offer in Canada.

Basics first

To come to and legally work in Canada, you must hold a Canadian work permit. Certain work permit types are specifically made for tech workers. But you can also apply directly for a Canada PR visa. With a Canada Permanent Residence, you get the right to work in Canada.

Types of Canada Work permits for tech workers

Global Talent Stream

The advantage of this stream is that Canadian work permits are processed within 2 weeks. The stream offers a speedy process to bring in highly skilled foreign workers.

Under this stream, there are the following categories of qualifying employers:

CUSMA

The successor of NAFTA, CUSMA is all about the transfer of talent between 3 countries: Canada, the US, and Mexico. CUSMA identifies 63 occupations that qualify under the professional categories.

ICTs happen under CUSMA wherein employees are moved from location to location within the company to a branch in Canada. These employees possess the experience of working for a minimum of a year in the company in management roles or special knowledge roles.

ICT (non-CUSMA)

In this version of ICT, employees could be moved from a country other than Mexico or the US. Such employees coming to work in Canada don’t require an LMIA.

Canada PR pathways

For a longer stay, you can apply for a Canada PR visa. Canada PR visa holders need no separate work permit to work in Canada legally. However, you may need to renew your PR card in Canada. Within years of being a Canada PR, you can apply for Canadian citizenship.

Express Entry

Express Entry is the most popular pathway for immigrants when the destination is Canada.

Express Entry is an application management system that’s points-based. The federal government of Canada manages applications for Canada immigration. Applicants apply to participate in Canada’s high-skilled immigration programs: FSTP, CEC, and FSWP.

FSWP and CEC streams are useful for foreign tech workers. On the other hand, FSTP caters to people involved in trades.

Express Entry has an impressive record of 80% of immigration applications being processed within 6 months. Express Entry candidate profiles in the candidate pool are ranked by CRS. The ranking is based on factors like age, education, skills in the official language of Canada, and work experience.

During bi-weekly Express Entry draws, Canada selects candidate profiles that belong to those who score the highest. They are then issued ITAs for Canada PR.

It’s a fact that 1/3^rd of all immigration applicants who succeed are tech workers. Also, 4/5^th of the top jobs most chosen for ITAs belong to the tech field.

BC PNP Tech draw

British Columbia PNP has a priority pathway for select candidates with tech skills. They are invited through the BC Tech stream. The candidates that BC PNP aims at, have jobs in one of the 29 NOC listed occupations in the technology sector.

Ontario tech draws

Ontario also holds tech draws to bring foreign workers with tech skills. These candidates must qualify for the province's Human Capital Priorities stream. This connotes that the candidates must have eligibility for either CEC or FSWP programs.

The following are the tech jobs candidates must have experience of working in:

• software engineers & designers
• database analysts & data administrators
• computer engineers
• computer programmers & interactive media developers
• computer & information systems managers
• web designers & developers

Immigration program for workers in IT, AI, and Visual Effects

This is all about an immigration pilot Quebec launched in April 2021. It has 2 streams for tech-based workers.

AI stream

This stream has 2 sub-streams.

1. Stream for those who graduated from a college or university in Quebec (a job offer and work experience not required for applicants)
2. Stream for workers whose training in AI was obtained abroad (applicants needn’t have a job offer)

IT & Visual Effects

Under this stream, the foreign workers have to have at least 2 years of work experience of 2 years in the last 5 years. There are 10 select occupations listed for qualification. They also must have a new or ongoing job in their field of work apart from having the necessary educational qualification.

So, are you now better informed about your pathways to Canada? If you liked this article, do check out these suggested articles:

• BC PNP tech draw on Aug 10 2021 invites 51 tech-skilled wannabes
• BC PNP tech draw invites 51 tech skilled immigration candidates

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