Life in Canada
How to Immigrate to Canada With a U.S Visa?
Unlike in the United States, there are numerous temporary work permit options for skilled workers in Canada. Moreover, many of these streams can be utilized as an advantage toward getting permanent residence.
An H-1B visa is a US work permit that allows foreign-born nationals to work in the US. However, there are parts of the H-1B visa program that can cause challenges for laborers, for example, the time factor. As some H-1B visas are valid for only up to three years with an expansion of additional three years.
When the expansion is finished, visa holders have to leave the US for an entire year without any re-entry program. Thus, no visa holders can plan to settle or begin a family in the United States. Noticing all these difficulties, many workers tend to shift their focus to immigrating to Canada. So, if you are a skilled worker you can consider these Canadian immigration options:
Under Temporary Residence (TR)
Global Talent Stream (GTS)
One such program, specifically designed for highly skilled foreign nationals in the tech sector is the Global Talent Stream (GTS). The program is a fast-tracked program for employers who can invite foreign talent to Canada. Also, the program is a part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) which facilitates the process of work permit applications and temporary resident visas in less time.
However, before hiring, employers must get a positive LMIA from the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Intra-Company Transfers (ICT)
There are several foreign nationals on H-1B visas who are employees of multinational companies. These organizations have parent, branch, auxiliary, or member organizations in Canada and are qualified to send skilled workers to Canada through ICT.
Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs) happen when employees of multinational companies move to the company’s Canadian branch via this permit. So, employees can begin the operations of a new or existing branch of a multinational company in Canada. ICT permits are at first legitimate for three years and feasible to renew for five years for specialized knowledge holders and seven years for executives and senior managers.
Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
Mexicans who have already attained an H-1B visa are eligible to work in Canada through the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). This is another choice that doesn’t need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Candidates must be qualified to work in their occupation and are only able to work in Canada in the role for which they were hired.
Under Permanent Residence (PR)
Express Entry
Work experience obtained through any of these work permits can be utilized towards an application for permanent residency through Express Entry.
Canada’s Express Entry immigration program is one of the fastest options for skilled workers. It is an application management system for three Canadian immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program(FSTP).
The system uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to evaluate the profiles of the candidates. High-scoring candidates shall receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Under this system, you can get permanent residency status in six months.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is another popular pathway for skilled professionals to immigrate to Canada and get permanent resident status. There are more than 80 provincial immigration streams that are aimed to attract workers, graduates, and entrepreneurs. Each program is designed to fulfill the labor force requirements. However, many different nominee programs have varying eligibility criteria for Canadian provinces, except Quebec and Nunavut.
If a candidate accepts a provincial nomination, it means they intend to live and work in the province. Later, they can apply for permanent residency through IRCC.
