January 15, 2019 – Major technology companies in Silicon Valley are being persuaded to relocate top talent to Canada due to uncertain US immigration policies.
Since Donald Trump became US president in 2016, a crackdown on the H-1B visa relied upon by many tech workers has forced businesses to consider their options or face losing staff.
Many US-based companies say they would hire more foreign workers if the process was easier and a positive outcome more certain.
Canada’s tech scene is benefitting from the sharp increase in red tape.
Companies here are finding it easier to attract the best candidates, assisted by the Trudeau government’s Global Talent Stream, offering two-week work permit processing.
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- How Canada’s Technology Industry Competes with Best in World
Stakeholders say the Canada work permit process is often too quick for candidates, who sometimes need more time to pack up their lives and prepare for the move.
Meanwhile, US-based firms are being persuaded to set up satellite offices in Canada, where they can hire new staff with more certainty.
The battle in Canada to grow its technology industry and compete with Silicon Valley pre-dates the Trump government.
However, Trump’s anti-immigration policies have given Canada a crucial competitive edge in the battle for technology workers.
Candidates who arrive here are often pleasantly surprised by the lifestyle on offer in major cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
The major adjustment is focused on the weather, given the well-known colder Canadian winters.
How Trump Has Increased US Immigration Uncertainty
- Regular anti-immigration rhetoric.
- ‘Buy American and Hire American’ executive order, directing Homeland Security to more closely vet H-1B candidates.
- Increased visa denials and requests for additional paperwork from immigration officials, as a result of the order.
- Major tech forms in US get together to write letter expressing concerns over immigration crackdown under Trump
- Ongoing review of the H-1B visa process with uncertain outcomes.
How Canada Has Opened Its Doors Further to Technology Workers
- Global Talent Stream provides two-week work permit processing for tech occupations, plus work permits and study permits for spouses and children.
- Plan to welcome more than one million new permanent residents over the next three years, the majority through the economic stream.
- Express Entry system means tech workers with job offers are likely to receive invitations to apply for permanent residence.
Why Move to Canada From The USA?
1) Canada is more immigrant-friendly
Canada is aiming to increase immigration to 350,000 newcomers per year by 2021. The majority of these newcomers will be in the Economic Class, with technology workers among the most in-demand. While Donald Trump clamps down on work visas and green cards in the US, Canada is making it easier for IT professionals to get work permits, with two-week processing via the Global Talent Stream.
2) Canada needs IT professionals
Canada is trying to overcome a shrinking labour force and aging population, and one of the ways it is doing this is through immigration. At the same time, Canada’s economy has changed and the labour force is lacking the IT skills businesses need to grow. This is why Canada is courting Indian IT professionals with fast visa processing and a clear pathway to permanent residence and citizenship.
3) Canada has a quality education system
Canada has several established colleges and universities, as well as a top-quality publicly-funded high school system that rivals the US in terms of quality of education. Tuition fees when it comes to higher education are much lower than the US for international students, and lower again for permanent residents and citizens. Moving your family to Canada from the US could be the best decision you ever made in terms of opportunities for your children.
4) Canada has publicly-funded healthcare
The US has well-documented problems with access to its healthcare system, but there are none of the same issues in Canada. Permanent residents get access to publicly-funded healthcare, and work permit holders can too, depending on certain factors. This represents piece of mind that you and your family will be covered in case of emergency. Here is all you need to know about healthcare for new immigrants.
5) Canada has a safe and secure society
Canada has a democratically-run, safe and secure society with significantly lower crime than the US. By choosing Canada. IT professionals are not just choosing a job, but a whole new quality of life.
Top 10 Canada Occupations for IT Professionals Employers Are Desperate to Fill
Advertisements in the top 10 hardest to fill occupations are consistently live for more than 60 days, showing how employers desperate to get the right people in have to be patient.
If you are qualified in one of these positions, you could move to Canada in a matter of weeks.
Canada’s Hardest to Fill Technology Vacancies
| Job title | NOC Code | Percentage of vacancies open for 60 or more days | |
| 1 | Computer Vision Engineer | 2147 | 56 |
| 2 | Penetration Tester | 2147, 2171, 2281 | 51 |
| 3 | Ruby on Rails Developer | 2147, 2171, 2172 | 43 |
| 4 | Operations Engineer | 2141, 2147 | 41 |
| 5 | Release Engineer | 2173 | 40 |
| 6 | C Developer | 2175 | 37 |
| 7 | Machine Learning Engineer | 2132 | 37 |
| 8 | System Engineer | 0211 | 35 |
| 9 | Chief Engineer | 0211 | 34 |
| 10 | Security Engineer | 2171 | 33 |
Source: Indeed
How Immigration.ca Can Help Tech Workers Move to Canada
At immigration.ca we offer our international clients top to bottom assistance in both immigration and employment.
For employment, we give all our individual clients a comprehensive job search service through our in-house recruitment enterprises, www.skilledworker.com and www.skilledworker.com.
We provide individual Global Talent Stream work permit candidates with:
- Comprehensive job search service through our in-house recruitment enterprises, skilledworker.com and skilledworker.com.
- Contacts to 500 Canadian employers.
- Live face-to-face tutorial on how to harness the power of LinkedIn.
- Expert advice on revising online profiles to maximise hiring opportunities.
Once candidates are in Canada and working through the GTS, they can apply for permanent residence through Express Entry or an applicable provincial nomination program (PNP).
Immigration.ca will maximize your chances with:
- Expert advice on how to maximize your profile score in the Express Entry Pool.
- Strategies on which areas of your profile could be improved to increase your score.
- Targeting provincial Express Entry streams that may be looking for candidates like you.
- Exploring the full range of Canada immigration options, both within and outside Express Entry.
How We Can Help Employers Looking to Hire Tech Workers
If you are an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprises, www.skilledworker.com and our newest asset, www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.
From technology workers in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Long-haul truck drivers in the Prairies and doctors in Nova Scotia we are able and ready to help with your search for the right staff to get your business grow.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
Read more news about Canada Immigration by clicking here.
