Indians have another reason to celebrate as Canada has now started to give open work permits to US H1-B visa holders which will allow these people to work and stay in Canada for upto 3 years to attract highly skilled workers. Indians constitute almost 75% of US H1-B visa holders and are thus, set to be the biggest beneficiaries.

This new programme will be open for one year or until Canada received 10,000 applications, whichever happens first. This programme will also allow the family members of the US H1-B visa holders to come to Canada to study or seek work options in the country.

“Thousands of workers in high-tech fields are employed with companies that have large operations in both Canada and the US, and those working in the US often hold an H1-B speciality occupation visa. As of July 16, 2023, H1-B speciality occupation visa holders in the US, and their accompanying immediate family members, will be eligible to apply to come to Canada,” the Canadian government said in a release earlier this month.

“They will be able to work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. Their spouses and dependants will also be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, with a work or study permit, as needed,” the Canadian government added.

The H1-B visa allows foreign nationals to come to the US and work in specialised industry sectors such as the technology sector. Many of the tech companies are reliant on this visa to get tens of thousands of workers from countries like India and China. At the same time, Canada is looking to become a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies with the hopes to attract professionals who have been affected by the tech companies’ layoffs in the United States and around the world.