The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) urges the federal government to launch a new visa for tech workers to cater to the labour shortages in the Canadian tech sector. The new visa proposed by the CCI would enable high-skilled tech workers to come to Canada without a job offer.
The demanded visa, called the High Potential Tech Visa, would be specifically for in-demand tech professions such as software developers, engineers, data scientists, etc. This visa would allow them to work, change jobs, and get permanent residence in Canada.
In its Talent and Skills Strategy report, the CCI mentioned 13 vital recommendations to help policymakers support Canada’s developing tech sector. CCI observed in this report that most people require a job offer to qualify for a Canadian work visa, and this requirement restricts highly skilled workers to enter and work in Canada. The report suggests that software engineers, data scientists, and other professionals working in high-demand occupations would almost certainly find work in Canada if allowed to enter the country.
Furthermore, the pandemic has increased remote work all around the world. As a result, CCI suggests that the Canadian government negotiate with the private sector on a pilot visa that would allow highly skilled foreign workers to come to Canada without a job offer.
This plan is based on a concept suggested in the United Kingdom that would allow software developers, engineers, and data scientists to enter the nation without having a job offer.
The new tech visa is expected to complement an existing program called the Global Skills Strategy. It aims to process work permit applications for in-demand jobs within two weeks. However, the CCI proposes a visa processing period of 48 hours for the new program.
The report states that allowing skilled tech workers to come to Canada on their initiative is also beneficial for Canadian firms. The government can increase the available supply of skilled workers that Canadian companies can hire. Thus, they would no longer force firms to go through the time-consuming and bureaucratic process of sponsoring a potential foreign worker.
The CCI also demands that the government provide a concierge service to help Canadian companies navigate the immigration system. It would ease the pathway to permanent residency through the Global Talent Stream (GTS). GTS is a work permit program that operates under the Global Skills Strategy and is available to certain employers and selects in-demand tech occupations.
Additionally, the CCI recommended developing a Digital Nomad Strategy to attract more remote workers to Canada and evaluating the National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes on a more regular basis to better represent the changing nature of technology jobs in the country. They also want Canada to recognize an expanded range of alternative and foreign credentials for Canadian visa applicants.
Global Talent Stream or GTS
The Canadian government already has several immigration and work permit alternatives for foreign tech workers. The Global Talent Stream (GTS), which permits selected skilled workers to obtain a temporary work permit within two weeks after applying, is one of the several paths to permanent residence available in Canada. It is one of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy pillars, which aims to assist businesses to thrive by ensuring that they can readily access highly trained workers.
Employers can obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) through the GTS without advertising a job offer. It is offered to high-growth businesses that can establish a need to hire skilled foreign specialists. A designated referral partner must refer employers in this category to the Global Talent Stream. Employers wishing to hire skilled workers for in-demand occupations mentioned on the Global Talent Occupations List can also use the GTS.
Employers in both groups must adhere to payment requirements for skilled workers. Foreign workers hired through the GTS must be paid at least the prevailing wage, and the prevailing wage is the highest of the following figures:
- the minimum wage floor as defined in the Global Talent occupations list (if applicable);
- the wage within the range an employer pays current employees in the same position at the exact location, with the same skills and experience;
- the median wage for the occupation on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank
The Global Talent Stream also has some work permit exemptions. It allows specific highly skilled workers to enter Canada without a work permit for a limited period. It includes workers with a job offer in NOC skill category 0 or A-level occupations who are allowed to enter Canada for 15 days in a six-month period, or 30 days in a 12-month period. Along with that, researchers employed by publicly-funded research institutions are permitted to visit Canada for up to 120 days per year without requiring a work permit.
