Canada’s high-growth industries will provide the jobs of the future, and companies need access to top talent that will fuel innovation, and drive emerging technologies forward.

“We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration, because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic. With Canada’s first-ever immigration Tech Talent Strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies. I’m grateful for the collaboration of the tech, start-up and business communities, who have provided valuable insight to develop this strategy. Having a fast and flexible approach, one that is broadly supported by Canadians, is truly Canada’s immigration advantage.”

– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

• The Innovation Stream will be launched by the end of this year. Options being developed are informed by the feedback of stakeholders received throughout a number of consultations in recent months. 

• The new H1-B specialty occupation visa holder work permit will be available as of July 16, 2023. Approved applicants will receive an open work permit of up to three years in duration, which means 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. 

  • This measure will remain in effect for one year, or until Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives 10,000 applications. Only principal applicants, and not their accompanying family members, will count toward the application cap. 

• The Global Skills Strategy, launched in 2017, features four policies designed to support Canadian employers seeking quick access to highly skilled talent from around the world. Employment and Social Development Canada is now meeting the two-week standard for processing Global Talent Stream labour market impact assessments for employers, and IRCC is now meeting the two-week standard for work permit applications.

• Changes to the temporary work permit option for Start-up Visa Program applicants, as well as the new application prioritization plan, will be in place later this year.

• Canada’s information and communications technology sector employed nearly 720,000 Canadians and accounted for more than 44% of all private research and development spending in Canada in 2021. The sector was responsible for more than 15% of Canada’s overall GDP growth between 2016 and 2021. (Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (PDF 0.76 MB))

• In CBRE’s report on the concentration of tech talent for 2022, Canadian cities represented 11 of the top 62 markets in North America. The same report also ranked tech industry job growth between 2016 and 2021, with Canadian cities accounting for seven of the top ten.

• Canada ranked number one as the most attractive destination for immigrant entrepreneurs in a 2023 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (PDF 2.18 MB). The rankings were based on a wide variety of factors, including access to capital, corporate tax rates, skills of the workforce, strength of its universities and quality of life, as well as immigration policies for entrepreneurs and their families.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Tech Talent Strategy

Associated links

• Canada.ca/tech-talent-immigration
• Global Skills Strategy
• Start-up Visa Program
• News Release: Canada launches new process to welcome skilled newcomers with work experience in priority jobs as permanent residents
• News Release: Shaping the future of immigration in Canada

Bahoz Dara Aziz
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Bahoz.DaraAziz@cic.gc.ca

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
media@cic.gc.ca