Ever since US President Donald Trump inked the Executive Order that effectively froze immigration of foreign nationals to the United States for the year, there’s been a sharp surge in the number of foreign nationals looking to move to Canada instead. Canada offers multiple options through which immigrants can secure a temporary or permanent stay in the country.
The move which is also set to safeguard more than half a million jobs of American nationals, is further proof of the unfavorable outlook of Donald Trump on immigration. The US immigration ban is set to affect the procedures of the following employment-based visas; ‘H-1B’, ‘H-2B’, ‘J’ and ‘L’. Experts believe that the US immigration ban has been placed to counter the rampant unemployment in the country, since the nation is reeling under the economic duress placed upon it by the coronavirus outbreak. The ban broadly means that around 525,000 workers whose aforementioned visas are currently in process won’t be able to work in the country at least until the end of the year.
Understandably, these skilled workers are looking overseas to secure their short-term and long-term future and Canada is proving to be the preferred choice of many due to a variety of reasons; the most significant of them being the positive outlook of the Trudeau administration. Canada is still inviting foreign nationals to apply for the country’s permanent residency, even in the face of a global pandemic.
There are various routes through which workers can move to Canada; the most prominent one of them being the Express Entry system, wherein applicants are invited to apply for the country’s permanent residency, provided their profile meets that particular round’s requisite number of points.
There are other provisions through which foreign nationals can gain entry into the country, a notable one being the Provincial Nominee Program; whereby 12 out of 13 provinces of Canada pick up profiles they feel would perfectly serve the needs of their local labor market. The province of Quebec has a similar mechanism in place but speaking French is a huge pre-requisite for all applicants.
However, if you’re not looking to enroll yourself as a permanent resident and are looking to work in Canada for a short while, then options such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP) can be your route into the country. The IMP is the preferred choice of most employers since under the TFWP the employer has to furnish the government with the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA); an official examination of existing local labor markets and their labor needs, which acts as an official commitment from the employer, that the new temporary workers won’t affect the existing Canadian workers. The IMP offers employers a way to circumvent the hassle of conducting and submitting an LMIA; as the IMP is a state-sponsored program created specifically to meet the country’s economic targets.
Perhaps the most enticing feature of the Canadian market is the quick processing time as the country is known to facilitate permanent residency certificates in as less as six-months. Professionals belonging to the IT field can relocate to Canada in under two weeks’ time, thanks to the country’s super-fast Global Talent Stream program.
Thus, whether you’re looking to secure temporary to work in Canada or wish to move to the country as a permanent resident, there are several routes for you. In addition to the various options at your disposal, Canada’s welcoming outlook towards foreign immigrants along with the State’s vision that skilled foreign immigrants can actually bolster its economy, make it a convincing choice!