More and more international tech firms are choosing Canada over the U.S.
Trumpian xenophobia is pushing skilled foreign professionals north of the border, massively augmenting Canada’s pool of tech talent.
The U.S. government has rejected approximately 25% of applications for H-1B visas, massively above form the 5% turn-down ratio in 2014. The visa is a crucial component in tech firms’ drive to supplement their talent by sponsoring highly educated and skilled workers.
This controversial policy stance has played a major part in the addition of what CBRE Group estimated to be around 82,000 tech jobs in Toronto from 2012 to 2017. Foreign tech professionals also comprised approximately 25% of inquiries on software development and engineering positions listed on Indeed Canada.
A recent poll by immigration consulting company Envoy Global has found that nearly 40% of international tech employers are planning to expand into Canada, with more than 20% saying that they already have at least one Canadian office. Fully 65% are considering sending more professionals to Canada.
“There are a number of tech firms, either based in California or international tech firms with significant offices in the United States, that have opted to open Canadian offices — the principal reason being that [they] can attract and keep workers in Canada,” Toronto-based immigration lawyer Peter Rekai told Global News.
With processing times as short as 6 months for qualified applicants, Canada’s Express Entry program introduced in 2015 helped pave an easier road for many of these foreign-born tech professionals, Rekai added.
“If you’re 30 years old and if you have [a master’s degree] and you’ve already worked for four years, say, in India — you might even have a shot of applying [for permanent residence] immediately.”
