Canada's Big Move For H-1B Visa Holders, Families To Benefit Too

According to a formal statement from Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, the programme would also offer study or employment visas to H-1B visa holders’ relatives.

Ottawa:

In order to allow 10,000 American citizens with H-1B visas to enter and work in Canada, the government will establish an open work-permit system, according to immigration minister Sean Fraser’s announcement on Tuesday.

According to a formal statement from Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, the programme would also offer study or employment visas to H-1B visa holders’ relatives.

Many of the thousands of workers in high-tech disciplines employed by multinational corporations with significant operations in both Canada and the US have H-1B specialist occupation visas. Holders of H-1B special occupation visas in the US, along with any accompanying immediate family members, will be able to apply to move to Canada as of July 16, 2023, according to the press release.

The new decision grants approved candidates an open work permit good for up to three years.

They’ll be qualified to work for nearly any employer across Canada. According to the statement, their spouses and dependents will also be qualified to apply for temporary residence visas with the appropriate job or study permits.

Fraser reportedly stated that the federal government will create an immigration stream by the end of this year for some of the most talented individuals in the world who will be able to move to Canada to work for digital businesses, regardless of having a job or not.

The minister of immigration did not specify exactly who would be eligible or how many people would be accepted to the stream, though.

Foreign nationals with H-1B visas are able to temporarily work in the US in a variety of specialised fields, including the technology industry. During the pandemic, tech companies went on a recruiting spree, but they have recently initiated mass layoffs. Many H-1B visa holders are now scrambling to find new jobs as a result of this.