Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser presented a new strategy. This new program aims to define the entry conditions and reception of digital nomads in Canada.
This announcement took place at the Collision conference in Toronto on Tuesday, June 27. The goal was to address this new program and how to define a strategy for welcoming digital nomads to Canadian territory. Following this novelty, we therefore understand that Canada wishes to define a very specific program, but with the aim of joining other countries, which have launched a special visa for digital nomads.
What strategy for Canada?
The strategy would allow people with a foreign employer to work in Canada for up to 6 months. It was revealed by Sean Fraiser that: “if they receive a job offer while they are here, we will allow them to continue working in Canada”. There is currently a program that allows foreigners, having received a job offer, to complete the process for a Canadian work permit. New features are brought to this new program, in particular by welcoming digital nomads.
The first ever tech talent strategy
Indeed, with this new program, Canada plans to welcome the most talented professionals from around the world to come work and settle in Canada. This strategy aims to revive the technology sector following numerous layoffs. From July 16, the flow of people will therefore be simplified with the United States border. A work permit for up to three years will therefore be issued to holders of an H-1B visa from the United States.
More fluidity in obtaining a work permit
New features should also be put in place for permanent resident status. The goal is to encourage foreign workers, through a global skills strategy, to become employees of a Canadian company. This would also work for entrepreneurs, who would therefore be employers in Canada. The conditions for obtaining a work permit will be improved and faster. The government would like to define a larger number of visa applications. From now on, 3,500 places would be available per year. The majority of applications will be studied by immigration teams, and it was indicated that if processing takes a long time, a work permit for a temporary period of less than five years would be issued.
To sum up…
Several changes to immigration are expected in the coming weeks. The current program for permanent residents should be improved and opened up to digital nomads. Foreign workers should have easier access to obtaining a working license, in particular, for workers in the technology sector. This is a new opportunity for Canada, to relaunch the activity of technology sector by attracting new foreign profiles, and to diversify Canadian businesses.
Stay tuned, new information should be confirmed in the coming weeks.