Recent years have seen Canada’s tech industry booming for real. Even during the whole ordeal of coronavirus pandemic, the industry is showing strength with companies actively recruiting.
Canada renders a flurry of temporary as well as permanent pathways to help the sector as the country needs more ICT talent. These pathways include specific programs for dedicated tech talent and general programs for skilled professionals aspiring for Canada migration. No matter if you want to move to Canada permanently or temporarily, you have the following pathways open for you.
Let’s find out:
Express Entry
An extremely popular option among people looking to move to Canada, Express Entry is also the country’s chief means to manage permanent resident application from skilled workers.
This pathway is mostly used by tech workers who want to migrate to Canada. Express Entry is quick and dynamic by nature. It helps you secure Invitation to Apply (ITA) within a few days of profile submission if you happen to be among the highest- ranking professional. If you get lucky, you get your application processed in six months. For tech workers with no history of living in Canada, Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is the best way to become eligible for Express Entry. You must have minimum of 67 points to fulfil FSWP’s requirements. Your age, education, language skills, and work experience decide your eligibility for FSWP, as well.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
For people who have not lived in Canada before, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is the next best choice you have for Canada immigration.
Every provinces and territories in Canada are given the right by Canada’s Constitution to operate immigrant programs. Hence, PNP is active in mostly all jurisdictions.
These provinces can nominate workers who meet their labour market requirements. The federal government then processes the applications of the candidates. The provinces of Ontario and British Columbia offer the best programs for tech migrants—Ontario Tech Pilot and B.C.’s Tech, respectively.
Since tech industry often requires talent, this is an important program for consideration for tech talent who wants to migrate to Canada.
Start-up Visa
Another visa program offered by Canada is Start-up Visa. As you would know, it aims to lure entrepreneur who wishes to setup businesses in Canada.
Due to the very nature, it has different criteria than skilled worker program in Canada that we discussed earlier.
Importantly, candidates that are successful need an entity designated by the Canadian government to endorse them. The entity can be a venture capital firm, an angel investor or even a business incubator.
There entities will be responsible to help the entrepreneur be successful in Canada.
Global Talent Stream
Whether you want a quick pathway before settling in Canada permanently or have no intent of permanent residency, it still offers various temporary pathways for tech workers.
As a matter of fact, work experience in Canada can help you bolster your chances of permanent residency though the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programs. CEC programs are created to support these types of candidates.
One of the more notable temporary visa options is the Global Talent Stream. Since 2017 over 40,000 arrived in Canada through this program.
Covid-19 and Canada Immigration
The pandemic has adversely affected the country’s immigration processes, no doubt. But it is still working to bring labour force to the country.
Successful immigration candidates continue to get invitations as Canada is preparing to bring them once the travel restrictions ease.
Canada, with the support of immigration consultants from across the world, stands committed to open its doors for global tech talent as their new home as quickly as possible. The only thing that stands in between is Covid-19.
