H-1B effect: Indian techies are heading to Canada

H-1B woes have heavily affected the Indian techies trying to migrate out of the country for work. The IT professionals are increasingly heading to Canada. 

The data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) suggests that over 4,400 applicants have registered under Global Skill Strategy Program that was launched on June 12 last year. IRCC agency is responsible for issuing work permits to the foreign nationals. 

The global skills strategy was launched to make it easier for Canadian businesses to attract the local talent. The initiative was launched last year to boost attract global marketplace. Businesses in Canada want to bring global talent to scale-up and grow. Out of 4,400 applicants that were granted work visa in Canada, 33% are Indians.

Lindsay Wemp, the spokesperson of IRCC said, “In the global race to attract the investment of innovative companies, competitors in the European Union, as well as the United States, have considerably larger pools of talent and labor to draw from than we do in Canada.” 

The ambiguity over the H-1B visa program of the United States continues to affect Indian tech community. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department published a statement on February 22, enforcing new norms and stricter documentation requirements for those applying for H-1B visa.

The companies sponsoring visa application of a candidate needs to mention the specific assignment in a specialty occupation and the duration of visa applicant’s work in the US. The new rules have made the H-1B visa process more difficult.

The Indian community has a significant presence in Canada. Indian-origin tech leaders in Canada believe that visa restrictions by Trump administration will boost recruitment and investments in Canada’s tech sector. Shafin Diamond Tejani, the CEO of Fantasy 360 said, “This provides a great opportunity for the best talent from India to come, live and work in Canada.”

The provision of Global Skills Strategy is working well for Canadian companies. In an official statement, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship department of Canada said, “The strategy features faster application processing times, work permit exemptions and enhanced customer service. It will give employers a faster and more predictable process for attracting top talent and new skills to Canada, creating economic growth and more middle-class jobs for Canadians.”

The visa application process in Canada is quite simple. Highly-skilled workers coming to Canada on a temporary basis can apply for either work permits or temporary resident visas. The applicants can even benefit from open work and study permits for spouses and children. The department will process the visa applications in just two weeks.

Source: techgig.com