Blue Bird Blog

Canada to launch Open Work Permit stream for U.S. H-1B visa holders today

As of today, those who hold a United States H-1B specialty occupation visa may be eligible to apply to work and live in Canada.
Note: This is a developing story. CIC News will update it as the Canadian government releases more information.
The measure was announced by Canada’s Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, on June 27 and aims to improve labour mobility in North America. It may impact thousands of workers in high-tech industries in both Canada and the United States, as well as their immediate family members.

Those who are approved will receive an open work permit valid for up to three years. An open work permit means that they can work for almost any employer in Canada. This also applies to their spouses and dependents who can apply for work or study permits as needed.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says the measure will last for either one year or until the cap of 10,000 applicants has been reached. This cap is on principal applicants and does not include family members.

IRCC targeting STEM occupations

On June 28, IRCC announced that it would hold the first Express Entry draw for those with work experience in Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) occupations. The draw is part of the category-based selection criteria announced by the Minister on May 31.

The department followed through on July 5 and invited 500 candidates with work experience in STEM, many of which may also be eligible for the new H-1B open work permit. Those who were invited were already in the Express Entry application pool.

There are five new Express Entry categories for those with work experience in specific occupational fields. The sixth category is for those with strong French language ability. The categories were chosen following research and discussion with IRCC partners and stakeholders as well as provincial and territorial governments who are likely to be more in tune with local labour shortages.

IRCC said inviting candidates through the Express Entry STEM category was a milestone in Canada’s commitment to attracting top global talent and remaining at the forefront of global research, development, and innovation.

For example, in Budget 2023, Canada’s government announced that would invest $20 billion to support the building of major clean electricity and growth infrastructure projects. Much of this development will require the skills and knowledge of STEM professionals.

Canada’s tech talent attraction strategy

In addition to the 3-year open work permit for H-1B holders, IRCC is also working on developing a new Innovation Stream under the International Mobility Program (IMP). Minister Fraser said the Innovation Stream will be launched by the end of this year.

The options for the stream are being developed and informed by the feedback of stakeholders received through several consultations in recent months.

There are two options under consideration

Employer-specific work permits for up to five years for workers destined to work for a company identified by the Government of Canada as contributing to our industrial innovation goal
Open work permits for up to five years for highly skilled workers in select in-demand occupations

Further, the minister announced a return to the 14-day service standard for work permits under the Global Skills Strategy, the promotion of Canada as a destination for digital nomads and improvements to the Start-up Visa Program such as more spots allocated and extending the length of the work permit from one to three years.

STEM job vacancies in Canada

The latest job vacancy data from Statistics Canada shows that there were 42,900 job vacancies in professional, scientific, and technical services in April, down by 7,700 (-15.2%) from March, and by 30,600 (-41.6%) from its peak of 73,600 in April 2022.

Ontario and Quebec continue to have the highest number of vacancies in the country. To help fill these vacancies, especially in the STEM sector, Ontario recently removed the Canadian work experience requirement for newcomers seeking licensure in engineering.

On June 30, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development also announced that regulated professions in Ontario will be required to make and communicate registration decisions on applications from internationally trained newcomers within six months. This measure aims to make it easier for skilled newcomers, especially in licensed professions such as some under STEM professions, to fill job vacancies and close the skills gap.

Source: cicnews.com

Work

Visitors no longer allowed to apply for work permits from within Canada

As of August 28, temporary residents in Canada on a visitor visa are no longer permitted to apply for a job-supported work permit from within Canada.
The temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for these work permits was introduced in August 2020 to assist some visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic—with the further aim of aiding employers to fill key labour gaps, by allowing some visitors who met certain conditions to apply for an job-supported work permit from inside Canada.

Quebec announces suspension of LMIA processing for some low-wage temporary foreign workers

Starting September 3rd, the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) to applicants in Montréal will be suspended for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD (the Quebec median hourly wage). This measure is expected to be in place for the next six months and has been approved by the federal government of Canada.

How long will it take to become a permanent resident of Canada in 2024?

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada often look for the fastest pathway to achieving their goal and starting a new life in this country.
On a basic level, Canada has four primary immigration classes: economic immigration, family-class sponsorship, humanitarian/compassionate immigration and immigration for refugees/protected persons.
However, within those four general classifications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides foreign nationals with more than 100 ways to immigrate to Canada.

Finding a job in Ontario

Recently the Ontario provincial government chose to make it illegal for employers to require Canadian work experience in their job advertisements, in addition to making it mandatory for all job postings to feature salaries.
Both steps represent victories, not just for the Ontario labour force (who will now be able to see how the potential salary of a job compares to provincial and national averages); but especially for newcomers to Ontario—who are often held back from roles and professions they are qualified for, based on their lack of Canadian experience.
Considering these two changes, CIC News has compiled the following guide for newcomers looking for a job in Ontario.

Ontario looking to ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience on application forms and in job postings

In a first-of-its-kind move among all Canadian provinces and territories, Ontario has announced its intention to introduce new legislation that would, if passed, ban employers from requiring “Canadian work experience … in job postings or application forms.”
Announced today, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development hopes this new legislation will help more newcomers fill in-demand labour shortages across the province.

Canadian federal court denies work permit based on IELTS score

A citizen of Iran was a home design and renovation manager for seven years. In 2022, she signed an employment contract to work as a Residential Home Builder with a construction company located in Vancouver. The job duties and responsibilities included planning and preparing work schedules, selecting and employing trade subcontractors and managing budgets.