Canada is banking on a ‘digital nomad’ strategy to win the race for tech talent – National
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Tuesday that Canada is chasing so-called “digital nomads” in the STEM sector amid a “global race” for highly skilled workers, while also planning to help foreign temporary workers upskill. said that it is developing while they were working in Canada.
Speaking at the Collision Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Fraser said Canada was preparing a roadmap for winning what he called a “global race” to attract the world’s best tech talent.
“People and capital are more fluid than at any point in the history of the world,” he said.
“As borders open, there is no question that we are in a global race for the same talent as our competitors around the world. may have won by an even larger margin.”
Fraser said Ottawa will launch a new dedicated pass for permanent residents that will be especially available to employees and workers in the STEM sector, which covers science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Throughout this year, Canada will have a special flow of the world’s most talented people who can come to Canada and work for high-tech companies, whether they have a job offer or not,” he said.
He also announced that Canada will roll out a “digital nomad strategy” aimed at highly skilled workers in the tech sector.
“[The digital nomad strategy]will allow people with foreign employers to come to Canada, work for up to six months, live in the country’s communities, and spend money in the country’s communities. If they get a job, “we will allow them to stay and work in Canada while they are here,” he said.
Fraser said Canada’s immigration strategy was influenced by what was happening in the United States.
He referred to “public narratives about layoffs” while there were “private conversations about opportunities.”
“Going forward, as of July 16, there will be a stream in place that will allow 10,000 H1B visa holders in the United States to come and work in Canada,” he said.
Fraser conceded that a “design flaw” has prevented the startup visa program, which provides a path to permanent residency for entrepreneurs who set up companies that employ Canadians, to live up to its potential.
He added that the government will issue open work permits to people in line until their applications for startup visas are processed.
And for tech workers applying under the new process, Fraser said, “We expect to be able to process work permits within two weeks, so companies can access the talent they need when they need it. It will be like that,” he suggested.
He did not provide details on how the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC) will reduce processing times.
Since the pandemic began, IRCC has had a backlog of orders. In April, 809,000 immigration applications were backlogged. This figure includes temporary residency applications, permanent residency applications and citizenship grants.
On June 16, the latest IRCC data revealed that the number of outstanding applications had risen to 820,000.
Nick Schiabo of the Canadian Innovators Council said the Canadian Innovators Council has been calling for such reforms for some time, especially the Digital Nomad strategy.
“If software engineers, data scientists, technology product managers and other key professionals can come to Canada, companies that are desperate for skilled workers will attract them,” he said.
“By easing the pathways to Canada for highly skilled technology professionals, Canadian businesses will be able to hire faster, capitalize on market opportunities and move at the pace of business.”
Regulations on the training system for dispatching foreign workers
In another important announcement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Fraser said that Temporary Foreign Workers (TWFs) with valid work permits but no study permits can continue their education without restrictions on the length of their study programs. He said he would be able to enroll in the institution.
Fraser said the interim measure will take effect immediately on Tuesday and will help TFW develop skills and seek better employment opportunities. He said foreign workers can study full-time or part-time for the duration of their work permit or until the policy expires, with no restrictions on the duration of the program.
“Foreign temporary workers are very important to the Canadian economy, and many of them have ambitions that go well beyond the jobs that originally came to Canada,” Mr Fraser said.
“By implementing this policy, we will help foreigners improve their skills to achieve their career goals and realize their dreams, while opening up potential sources of future talent to the labor market. We would like to provide.”
He added that this would help Canada meet the demand for labor in key sectors of the economy such as health care and construction.
Recent Statistics Canada report He said businesses across Canada were struggling to fill vacancies.
The report found that 36.9% of all businesses are facing difficulties, but some sectors have been hit hardest. Recruiting highly skilled workers was a challenge for 49.5% of Canadian construction, 47.4% of manufacturing and 46.3% of hospitality industries.
The federal government’s strategy to address the labor shortage includes expanding immigration.according to government dataFifty years ago there were seven workers for every retiree in Canada; today the ratio is approaching three for every retiree.
And if Canada maintains its current trajectory, over the next 10 to 15 years the number of workers per retiree will fall to two.
About 75 percent of Canada’s population growth is due to immigration, adding that immigrants are projected to make up 30 percent of the country’s population by 2036, the IRCC statement added.
