Canada Launches Open Work Permit For US H-1B Visa Holders, Indians Likely To Benefit

Indians, who make up nearly 75% of H1-B visa holders in the United States, are set to benefit significantly from a new scheme launched by Canada to attract tech talent to the country.

Canada has introduced a new initiative to attract highly skilled workers, offering open work permits to H1-B visa holders from the US. This means that H1-B visa holders from the US can come and work in Canada for up to three years. The permit also allows family members of approved applicants to study or seek work opportunities in Canada.

The program will be in effect for one year or until the Canadian government receives 10,000 applications.

Many workers in high-tech fields are employed by companies with significant operations in both Canada and the US, and some of them hold H1-B speciality occupation visas while working in the US. As of July 16, 2023, H1-B visa holders in the US, along with their immediate family members, will be eligible to apply to come and work in Canada

These visa holders will have the flexibility to work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. Moreover, their spouses and dependents will also be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, with a work or study permit if needed.

H1-B visas in the US allow foreign nationals to work temporarily in certain specialized occupations, particularly in the technology sector. Technology companies heavily rely on this visa category to hire tens of thousands of employees each year, with many coming from countries like India and China.

Canada aims to become a world leader in various emerging technologies, and this new initiative is designed to attract skilled professionals who might have been affected by massive layoffs at US tech giants, reported Business Today.

Overall, the scheme offers an opportunity for Indian tech professionals to explore job prospects and contribute their expertise in Canada's burgeoning tech industry.

US To Ease Visa Process

The Biden administration is taking steps to make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, with plans to announce a pilot program during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit. The program is expected to allow a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas to renew their visas in the US without having to travel abroad. This move is aimed at facilitating the mobility of skilled workers and may be expanded in the coming years, reported The Times Of India.

Indian citizens make up the majority of users of the US H-1B visa program, accounting for 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. The pilot program is intended to begin with a limited number of cases and gradually scale up over one to two years.

The US government annually allocates 65,000 H-1B visas for companies seeking skilled foreign workers and an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. Companies like Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) from India, as well as Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta in the US, have been among the top users of H-1B workers in recent years.

The ability for some temporary foreign workers to renew their visas in the US would free up resources for visa interviews at consulates abroad. The pilot program is also expected to include workers on L-1 visas, which are for intra-company transfers to positions in the US.

Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to clear the backlog of visa applications at US embassies in India. The Biden administration aims to improve visa access for Indians, given the lack of comprehensive immigration policy reform in Congress, and seeks to strengthen ties between the two largest democracies to better compete with China.

While the pandemic-related visa processing halt in March 2020 has led to a backlog of visa applications, the Biden administration's efforts are aimed at addressing the concerns of Indian citizens, particularly those working in the technology industry, who face challenges in obtaining US visas.

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