Canada Opens Door For 10,000 H-1B Visa Holders To Work In The Country

H-1B visas allow foreign nationals to temporarily work in the US in certain specialized occupations, including the technology sector.

New Delhi: Canada has announced the creation of an open work-permit stream for 10,000 American H-1B visa holders. According to Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser,  the program will also allow family members to obtain study or work permits.

“Thousands of workers in high-tech fields are employed with companies that have large operations in both Canada and the US, and those working in the US often hold an H-1B speciality occupation visa. As of July 16, 2023, H-1B speciality occupation visa holders in the US, and their accompanying immediate family members, will be eligible to apply to come to Canada,” said the official release by Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.

“They will be able to work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. Their spouses and dependants will also be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, with a work or study permit, as needed,” said the release.

Those applicants who have received approval will receive an open work permit of up to three years.

Fraser also mentioned that by year-end, the Canadian government would create an immigration stream for highly skilled individuals to work in tech companies, regardless of employment status. However, he did not clarify the eligibility criteria or the number of people to be admitted to this stream.

H-1B visas allow foreign nationals to temporarily work in the US in certain specialized occupations, including the technology sector. Tech companies went on a hiring binge during the pandemic but have since started laying people off in large numbers. That’s left a lot of H-1B visa holders scrambling to find new jobs.