To fulfill the shortage of workers in the technology sector, the Council of Canadian innovators is inviting the federal government to pilot a new visa. This proposed visa allows the high-skilled tech worker to come to Canada and find a job in Canada without a job offer.
CCI recently announced its Talent and Skills strategy which is giving 13 policymakers key recommendations to support Canadas’s tech industry. The proposed visa, which is also called a high potential visa, will target in-demand businesses such as software developers and data scientists. It will help holders to work, change jobs, and get a Canadian PR visa.
Most need a job offer to qualify those who are looking for a work visa in Canada., as noted by CCI. This requirement creates a blockade for those highly skilled workers who wish to work in Canada. “If data scientists, software developers and other professionals working in demanding occupations are allowed to enter Canada in search of work”, they will find it, the report said.
Additionally, remote work has become increasingly more common during the pandemic. As per the result, the CCI states that the Canadian Government should talk with the private sector regarding allowing highly skilled workers to immigrate to Canada for a specified period without job offers.
The proposed new visa is based on a program in the UK that would allow engineers, data scientists, and software developers to enter the country without a job offer.
The proposed visa of technology will complement the present global skills strategy, which aims to give permit applications for demanding professions in as little as two weeks. However, CCI is looking for a visa processing time of 48 hours for this program.
The report says, “The Canadian Government can increase the supply of skilled workers who can be hired by Canadian Companies without the firm engaging in a bureaucratic process.
The Council of Canadian Innovators also wants the Government they provide concierge service to companies that helps them to navigate the immigration system, and facilitate the pathway to PR through the Global Talent Stream which is a work permit program operated under the global skills strategy.
According to other recommendations of CCI related to launching a Digital, Nomad Strategy including talent acquisition to make Canada a destination for the remote workers and the national occupation for classification to better reflect the shifting nature of technology jobs in Canada. Involves reviewing the code regularly.
Processing of Two-Week Work Permit
Some migration and work permit options for technical workers are already provided by Canada. The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is also offered by Canada, which allows some skilled workers to obtain a temporary work permit within two weeks of applying. It is one of the support of the Global Skills Strategy, which aims to help companies ensure they can quickly access highly skilled talent.
The employer can get LMIA (Labour market Assessment) with the help of GTS without the requirement of advertising. It is available for high-growth companies that may demonstrate a need to recruit specialized talent from overseas. The GTS is also helpful for those companies who are looking to hire skilled talent for in-demand professions found in the GTS list.
In both categories, employers must meet the payment-related conditions of the skilled workers. National workers who are hired through the GTS must be paid at the current salary or higher.
The Prevailing salary is defined as the highest figure of any one of the following:
- The average salary for the profession at the Government of Canada Job Bank;
- Salary within the limit to be paid by an employer to existing employees with similar skills and experience in the same position at the same location.
Some work permit freedom is also available under the Global Talent Stream. A highly skilled worker who has NOC skill type O or A level profession may be allowed to enter Canada to work for 15 days in six months and 30 days in a 12onth period without any work permit.
Researchers working in publicly funded research institutions can come to Canada without a work permit for 120 days a year.
