According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser on Tuesday, the Canadian government will establish an open work-permit stream by July 16 to permit 10,000 Americans with H-1B visas to enter and work in Canada.
Thousands of Indian tech professionals may gain from Canada's recent announcement of a new open work-permit route for 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States. Canada wants to lead the world in a number of developing technologies and draw in workers who have been affected by the US tech industry's big layoffs. A non-immigrant visa called the H-1B allows US businesses to hire foreign nationals for specialised jobs that need for theoretical or technical skills.
It is essential to the hiring of tens of thousands of workers each year from nations like China and India by technology companies.
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According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser on Tuesday, the Canadian government will establish an open work-permit stream by July 16 to permit 10,000 Americans with H-1B visas to enter and work in Canada.
The project would also offer for study or work visas for their family members, the ministry stated in its news release.
“We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic. With Canada’s first-ever immigration Tech Talent Strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies," Fraser said.
Approved applicants for the new programme will receive an open work permit of up to three years in duration, which means they will be able to work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. Their spouses and dependants will also be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, with a work or study permit, as needed, the release said.
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During the pandemic, tech companies went on a recruiting spree, but they have recently initiated mass layoffs. Many H-1B visa holders are now rushing to locate new employment before they are required to leave the US, according to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Numerous recent layoffs at businesses like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have resulted in the loss of employment for thousands of highly qualified foreign-born workers in the US, including Indians. Nearly 200,000 IT workers have reportedly lost their jobs since November of last year, according to US media estimates.
According to industry sources, between 30 and 40 per cent of them are Indian IT professionals, many of whom are in possession of H-1B and L1 visas.
The US government issues 65,000 H-1B visas each year. The three-year visas can be extended for an additional three years.
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, of the H-1B petitions approved in FY 2022, 72.6 per cent were for recipients whose country of birth was India.
Of the total H-1B visas authorised in FY 2021, approximately 74.1 per cent were granted to Indians in the previous fiscal year.