Canada Announces New Work Permit For 10,000 American H-1B Visa Holders, Families To Benefit Too

Canada has announced an open work-permit stream for 10,000 American H-1B visa holders, Canada Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on Tuesday said. The official release by Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship also announced that the program will also allow family members to obtain study or work permits.

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What's happening?

As part of Canada's first-ever Tech Talent Strategy, the country aims to attract skilled workers from the United States and provide them with employment opportunities in Canada. In addition, the program will also allow for study or work permits for family members of H-1B visa holders.

The new H1-B speciality occupation visa holder work permit will be available from July 16, 2023.

"Thousands of workers in high-tech fields are employed with companies that have large operations in both Canada and the US, and those working in the US often hold an H-1B speciality occupation visa. As of July 16, 2023, H-1B speciality occupation visa holders in the US, and their accompanying immediate family members, will be eligible to apply to come to Canada," the release read.

"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," said the release.

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How will it work?

The approved applicants will receive an open work permit of up to three years, 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.

According to reports, Fraser mentioned that by year-end, the Canadian government would create an immigration stream for highly skilled individuals to work in tech companies, regardless of employment status. However, he did not clarify the eligibility criteria or the number of people to be admitted to this stream.

This measure will remain in effect for one year or until Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives 10,000 applications. Only principal applicants, and not their accompanying family members, will count toward the application cap.

Reuters - Representative Image

H-1B visa

H-1B visas allow foreign nationals to temporarily work in the US in certain specialized occupations, including the technology sector. Tech companies went on a hiring binge during the pandemic but have since started laying people off in large numbers. That's left a lot of H-1B visa holders scrambling to find new jobs.

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