The new work permit offered by Canada to H1B visa holders of US, opened for application on 16 July. The Canada Immigration policy also offers study or work permits for applicant’s family members.

The Canadian government’s decision to allow 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the US to come and work in the country is expected to benefit Indian professionals.

According to the Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) the application portal is now closed. “We reached the cap of 10,000 applications for this initiative on July 17, 2023,” the IRCC said on its website. 

Here is the link to the H1 B visa holder’s Canada work permit application- www.canada.ca

The IRCC portal said “The temporary public policy for H-1B visa holders is now closed. The intake cap of 10,000 primary applicants was reached and no additional applications are being accepted”.

The immigration plan announced by Canada in June aimed to take advantage of the victims of mass layoffs in the US, and thereby emerge as the world leader in emerging technologies. 

Notably, H-1B visa holders in the US number nearly 600,000 and come mostly from India and China. 

Each year, up to 85,000 people are selected for H-1B visas in the US, a mainstay for technology giants such as Amazon.com Inc., Google parent Alphabet Inc., Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service had earlier said about 50,000 people had their H-1B visas revoked due to loss of employment between October 2022 and April 2023, and about 12,500 did not transfer their visas to some other legal status.

“We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic. With Canada’s first-ever immigration Tech Talent Strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies,” Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser last month while announcing the scheme.

The H1B visa holders who apply for work permit in Canada, will receive an open work permit of up to three years in duration, which means 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, a release by the Canada government read.

Updated: 21 Jul 2023, 04:37 PM IST