Forget about lumberjacks and mounties, the great wide open spaces of Canada are opening the door to UK techies in a bid to get ahead in the global race for a share of the worldwide tech talent pool.
40 million landmark
The vast, resource-rich, country – sitting on the shoulders of the United States – is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. More than 80% of its land is uninhabited with an average of four people for every square kilometre.
Government policy is to fill it with skilled people and Canada has welcomed a million more immigrants in 2022, pushing the population above 40 million for the first time since records began.
How the door is opening
“What Canada is doing is opening the door to more tech people in this country to help support its growing digital industry,” says Mike Wilson, of Canada Immigration
Solutions, is one of three licenced consultants dealing with migrants from the UK.
“What will help you is a degree, a postgraduate qualification on top and three years’ work experience in a tech company.”
Changes are expected to be made to the immigration points system, in August, to make it easier for skilled tech workers to live and work in Canada under what the country is calling its Tech Talent Strategy.
Part of the scheme is open work permits for up to five years for skilled professionals, in high-demand occupations.
Enshrine Canada as a world leader in tech
Canada’s immigration minister Sean Fraser says the changes will also allow companies to hire foreign tech workers without a confirmation letter to prove that no Canadian worker, nor permanent resident, could do the job
“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,” says Fraser.
Canada is an immigrant nation. Around a quarter of the current population is made up of people who left their country to live there.
