The significance of a stable and well-built technology sector to Canada’s economy and development cannot be ignored.
Around 55,000 business establishments in the tech industry contribute about CAD 113.4 billion, approximately 5.5% of the Canadian economy.
Canada is listed as one of the top countries in preparedness for cyber-attacks as it is one of the world’s greatest cybersecurity innovation hubs.
There is an increasing demand for tech workers in Canada to fill the labor market gap in the tech space. Canada provides special work permits to tech workers so they can immigrate without ever having worked in Canada.
Getting a Work Permit as an IT Professional in Canada
There are numerous ways to get a work permit as a tech worker in Canada. However, these are the most popular:
1. Canada Global Talent Stream (GTS)
In June 2017, the Global Talent Stream (GTS) was launched via a partnership between Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The GTS is one of the streams in Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and it aims to simplify the work permit process for specific Canadian employers, enabling them to compete internationally. If approved, this expedites hiring foreign nationals through the Global Skills Strategy.
What are the requirements?
The GTS operates in two categories, category A and Category B.
Category A:
To apply to Category A of the GTS, an employer needs a referral to the stream by one of the GTS’s designated partners and also use the stream to hire unique and specialized talent. To qualify as unique and specialized talent for Category A, at least 5 years of specialized experience in the field, advanced education, and the talent must be indicated by advanced industry knowledge.
Category B:
To apply to Category B of the unique Global Talent Stream, employers must be in pursuit of employing highly skilled foreign talent to occupy positions in occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List. To be eligible, employers should know that talent must meet both the minimum wage and occupation requirements. Some qualifying occupations include information Systems Analysts and Consultants, Computer and Information Systems Managers, and Designers and Software Engineers.
Certain peculiarities exist between Category A and B, such as a CAD 1000 application fee, documentation proving business legitimacy, and a Labour Market Benefits Plan.
How to apply
Application for a work permit through the Global Talent Stream is a two-step process. As an IT professional in Canada looking forward to getting a work permit, the first step involves the GTS candidate receiving a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This may take an average of 8 days, after which the employer applies for a Canadian work permit.
The Global Talent Stream candidates may have their permits processed within two weeks. GTS work permits are closed permits because candidates may only work for the indicated employer on their permit. The GTS is a temporary residence program for a Canadian work permit and not a permanent immigration program.
2. Canadian-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) Professionals
About 60 occupations qualify for a facilitated work permit, known as the CUSMA Professional work permit. Some eligible occupations relating to information Technology include computer engineers, technical publications writers, computer systems analysts, and graphic designers.
The Canadian employer is not obligated to obtain an LMIA before the American or Mexican applicant applies for their work permit, thereby eliminating the time that would have been spent.
3. Intra-Company Transferees
Just like the CUSMA Professional work permit, ICT is another work permit option that does not require LMIA. To be eligible, the professional must have been employed with the company abroad for at least a year, and there has to be a qualifying relationship between the two companies; that is, it could be a subsidiary, branch, parent, or affiliate. This is yet another way to get a work permit as an IT professional in Canada.
Unlike the previous work permit options, qualification is not based on a list of eligible occupations. Instead, there are three categories under which a worker may qualify. The first two are related to managerial-type positions and do not commonly apply to IT. However, IT workers utilize the third category for workers who have “specialized and proprietary knowledge of the company or its products.”
4. Express Entry
This work permit option is popular for IT professionals who wish to settle permanently in Canada. Federal Skilled Trades (FST), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) are the three main economic programs through which Canada operates the Express Entry system. Of the three programs, the FSW program is ideal for tech workers without previous work experience in Canada.
The requirement includes submitting an online profile scored by Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Candidates with CRS scores above the permanent residence cut-off will then receive invitations.
5. Quebec Immigration
The Quebec government launched an immigration pilot program that benefits specific tech workers in April 2021. This pilot program allows foreign workers in certain IT occupations to settle permanently in Quebec. The pilot program has two streams; information technology, visual effects, and artificial intelligence. Both streams require that the applicants meet specific criteria: they must intend to settle and work in Quebec, be at least 18 years old, demonstrate financial self-sufficiency, and respect the conditions of their permit in Quebec.
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Quebec’s artificial intelligence stream focuses on two kinds of tech workers: foreign-trained workers and graduates from Quebec universities or colleges. The stream requires candidates to have pertinent education that minimally correlates with a Quebec bachelor’s degree.
The IT and visual effects stream focuses on workers with experience in one of 10 selected occupations, including electrical and electronics engineers, graphic designers and illustrators, computer network technicians, designers, and software engineers.
Requirements include at least two years of work experience in any of these occupations within the past ten years. Candidates must have a job offer or be currently working in their field in Quebec and must have completed an education that correlates with a Quebec bachelor’s degree or diploma of technical training.
6. Provincial Nominee Programs for Tech Professionals
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) have become a popular route to getting a work permit as an IT professional in Canada. Here are two common PNPs for overseas tech workers who want to settle permanently in Canada.
- British Columbia PNP Tech Program
British Columbia’s PNP Tech program facilitates application processing for candidates with a BC job offer in one of the prioritized tech occupations. Qualification entails eligibility under one of BC’s skills Immigration streams. This program does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Instead of an LMIA, the province of British Columbia may issue a “letter of support” to successful nominees, which can be used to apply for a Canadian work permit. A few of BC’s prioritized tech occupations include:
- Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231)
- Web designers (NOC 21233)
- Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301)
- Broadcast technicians (NOC 52112)
- Graphic designers and illustrators (NOC 52120)
- Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream
This is a great immigration option for overseas tech workers who don’t have a Canadian job offer. Tech draws are regularly held, and tech workers from the Express Entry pool are directly invited.
The drawback of this stream is that tech workers can’t apply without being invited by the province. Ontario chooses a targeted range of CRS to ascertain which candidates will receive a Notification of interest (NOI) in each tech draw. Application for nomination within 45 days of receiving the nomination is required for those who receive an NOI.
Selected tech occupations include:
- Computer and information systems managers (NOC 20012)
- Web designers and developers (NOC 21233)
- Computer engineers (NOC 21311)
- Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231)
- Data analysts and data administrators (NOC 21223)
