Under the digital nomad strategy, a tech worker with a job at a foreign employer could arrive in Canada today, and continue to work for that employer.
New Delhi: Canada introduced a new strategy to attract digital talent to the country, which includes a digital nomad program that allows more foreigners to live and work there. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced what he called a “digital nomad strategy” that will allow workers with a foreign employer to stay and work in Canada for up to six months. If they get a job offer while in the country, he said, they can remain in Canada even longer.
There’s a program in place already allowing foreigners who receive a job offer to transition to a Canadian work permit. But Fraser said under the digital nomad strategy, a tech worker with a job at a foreign employer could arrive in Canada today, and continue to work for that employer.
The strategy also includes a “new and dedicated pathway” announced for permanent residents who employ workers or work in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) sectors. That would take the form of a new STEM-specific draw that would be included under the existing Express Entry program.
Hinting that it will be extremely beneficial for Canada, he said those workers will “spend money in communities in this country.”
In a bid to address Canada’s skills shortage, the federal government is looking to poach talent from abroad through three new initiatives that were unveiled at a technology conference on Tuesday. The conference was addressed by Fraser.
Canada H1B Visa
By July 16, Fraser said, the government will create an open work-permit stream to allow 10,000 American H-1B visa holders to come and work in Canada.
In its news release, the ministry said the program will also provide for study or work permits for their family members.
H-1B visas allow foreign nationals to temporarily work in the U.S. in certain specialized occupations, including the technology sector. Tech companies went on a hiring binge during the pandemic but have since starting laying people off in large numbers. That’s left a lot of H-1B visa holders scrambling to find new jobs before they’re forced to leave the U.S.
Fraser said he’s been watching that dynamic very closely and sees it as an “opportunity” for Canada.
Other countries offering similar Visas
Other countries already have similar initiatives that come in the form of a digital nomad visa. Bali, for example, has a visa that lets Canadian remote workers live on its sandy beaches tax-free for up to five years.
Portugal and Spain have similar digital nomad initiatives as well.
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