Canada has taken a big step for American H-1B visa holders. An open work-permit stream will now be created to allow 10,000 US H-1B visa holders to immigrate to Canada and work.
Canada’s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced this on 27 June. According to an official release, the Canadian Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said that work permits will also be provided to family members of H-1B visa holders under this programme.
Statement from the ministry
“Thousands of employees in high-tech sectors are employed by companies that have large operations in both Canada and the US,” the ministry said. People working in the US often hold the H-1B special business visa. H-1B special occupation visa holders in the US as of July 16, 2023, and accompanying immediate family members, will be eligible to apply to immigrate to Canada.’
Work permit will be available for a period of up to three years
Under the new decision issued by the Government of Canada, approved applicants will be given open work permits for a period of up to three years. “US visa holders will be able to work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada,” the ministry release said. Family members such as spouses and dependents will be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa with a work or study permit as needed.
Will develop immigration stream for talented people
According to Canada-based CBC News, Fraser said that by the end of this year, the federal government will develop immigration streams for some of the world’s most talented people who want to come to Canada to work for tech companies. However, the Immigration Minister has not yet clarified who will be eligible for this immigration stream and how many people will be given entry in the stream.
What is H-1B Visa?
The H-1B visa allows foreign nationals to temporarily work in the US in certain occupations, including the technology sector. During the Corona epidemic, many recruitments were done by tech companies, but after that a large number of people were also fired. Due to this, H-1B visa holders faced a lot of trouble in finding new jobs. ( PLC/GT )
