Feds announce new digital nomad strategy for foreign workers

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser introduced a new strategy to attract digital talent to Canada, which includes a digital nomad program that allows more foreigners to live and work here.

In a special announcement at the Collision Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Fraser said the digital nomad strategy would allow people with a foreign employer to work in Canada for up to six months.

"And should they receive a job offer while they're here, we're going to allow them to continue to stay at work in Canada," said Fraser.

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.

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Fraser said he wouldn't set a number on how many people could take advantage of the program, and that it would be "driven by demand rather than an artificial limit set by government."

NEW PATHWAY FOR PROFESSIONALS

Fraser said it's all part of a strategy to attract the most talented professionals from around the world to come work in Canada. A government press release calls it "Canada's first-ever Tech Talent Strategy" that includes some "aggressive" measures aimed at attracting top talent.

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.

Also, a global skills strategy, initially launched five years ago to attract talent but hampered by processing delays, would be new and improved, said Fraser. The improvements would speed up processing of work permits to just two weeks, "so companies can have access to the talent they need, when they need it," said Fraser.

The minister also re-announced an increase in the number of spaces in Canada's visa program from 1,000 spaces a year to 3,500, creating "a pathway to permanent residency for entrepreneurs who create companies that would hire Canadians."

On that last point, Fraser said Canada would prioritize applications within that system by focusing on features like whether a company has capital committed, or whether it's received an endorsement from a "trusted partner."

"But for those who are in the queue," added Fraser, "we're also going to issue open work permits for three years for them and their families to be in Canada while they wait for their applications to be completed."

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Fraser said Canada will also be developing a specific stream for "the world's most highly-talented people" to be able to come to Canada to work for tech companies -- whether they have a job offer or not.

H-1B VISA HOLDERS

Finally, Fraser said in reaction to what's been going on in the tech sector in the U.S., "where we've seen the public narrative around layoffs," Canada will have a new avenue to attract workers from south of the border.

"As of July 16, we will have a stream that will allow 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States to come and work in Canada," said Fraser.

There are approximately 400,000 H-1B visa holders in the U.S., he added, which is why the government is setting a cap on the new stream of people who could hold those visas at 10,000. He said that program will launch on July 16.

"We want to make sure that we create an opportunity for a number that we can more appropriately manage to test out this new idea," said Fraser at a news conference following his announcement.

Approved applicants would get an open work permit of up to three years, and they would be able to work for "almost any employer anywhere in Canada," said the government release. The applicants' spouses would also be able to apply for a temporary resident visa.

Asked whether Canada would extend a similar program to other jurisdictions around the world, Fraser said he couldn't commit to that, but based on how this new program goes, he wouldn't close the door to the possibility.

"Keep in mind that there are a lot of commonalities between the United States' tech market and Canada's tech market, including employers that sometimes have locations on both sides of the border," said Fraser, "including the fact that everybody who comes in on an H1-B visa has a level of language skills that would allow them to succeed in life in Canada."

"But if this works well and we find other jurisdictions that have similar strengths, we leave those options on the table."