Canada just became more attractive to tech talent from India after it launched a new program designed to speed up visa application and issuance. The North American country is using the new program to poach tech talent from across the border in the U.S.
The fast-tracked visa program is part of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy through which it intends to become a more attractive country to foreign tech talent. Most such individuals previously targeted the U.S as their ideal land of opportunities but have often ended up being disappointed by restrictive immigration policies in the U.S.
So far the Global Skills Strategy has been running for the past two years and the company managed to attract more than 24,000 people, visa applicants. The program offers temporary work permits to top global talent for a minimum of two weeks. Software engineering is one of the skill categories that Canada is targeting with the program.
Majority of the foreign talent are shifting to Canada from the U.S
Most of the skilled foreign talent that is moving to Canada courtesy of the faster visa program. Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Immigration Minister revealed that most of the foreign talent coming into Canada came from the U.S. He believes this is due to the fact that Trump’s administration has tough immigration restrictions that have become unattractive to foreign talent from countries such as India.
Some of the job applicants are also accompanied by their family members who also have good skills for the Canadian job markets or ones that can study in Canada. The program has influenced a rise in employment in the country.
The Canadian sector’s appetite for highly skilled talent
One of the reasons behind the fast-tracked visa program is that the Canadian job market been characterized by increased demand for highly skilled talent. This is particularly true for the country’s technology sector which is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country.
One of the tech industries the country that relies heavily on software engineering and IT prowess is the gaming segment which has picked up steam lately. The gaming industry is rapidly growing across the world and the same case applies in Canada. Some of the major gaming companies in Canada include Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:EGHIF) and Victory Square Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS:VSQTF) which have heavily invested in the gaming sector.
Another Canadian company that is making a mark on Canada’s rapidly rising gaming sector is Axion Ventures Inc (OTCMKTS:AXNVF) through game development. These companies mainly leverage IT-based skills especially in areas such as game development or programming. The rise of such companies in Canada has also brought with it the need for skilled or highly specialized labor that can help such companies reach their full potential
Note that tech skill requirements are not limited to the gaming and software development sectors in Canada. There are other rapidly growing areas such as mobile, IoT and others that also offer a lot of employment opportunities for highly skilled individuals.
