Canada Digital Nomads: A country’s future depends largely on its technology level, which is why the race for tech talent has heated up in recent times. At the forefront of the profiles most sought after by governments worldwide are new digital professionals, experts and specialists who are in short supply everywhere because the availability of positions far exceeds the actual number of skilled and competent people for those (highly paid) jobs.
This is why institutions are creating specific projects to attract the brightest minds, many of whom have already chosen to live and work as digital nomads. To get an idea of the speed with which this category (which includes so many different souls within it) is gaining space, it is enough to know that at the moment, 46 countries have created a visa dedicated to them: 17 are European, 10 Caribbean, 5 North-Central America, 4 South America, 4 in Asia, 4 in Africa and 2 in the Middle East. In addition, 12 other countries are finalising the process for the Digital Nomad Visa.
Canada wants to become a hub for digital specialists
One of the countries most interested in the topic is Canada, which aims to attract tech talent from around the world, especially from the United States. US citizens and resident aliens with a Green Card do not need a tourist visa to travel to Canada, as all they need is a plane ticket to Toronto, Vancouver or any other city north of the border. Canada’s goal is to become a hub for digital nomads, exploiting the tendency of American companies to prefer their employees to return to the office. Workers are against reducing smart working, especially after experiencing first-hand the advantages of productivity and lifestyle benefits.
Canadian authorities are aiming even more to offer incentives and a facilitated path to those working in the States on temporary H-1B visas. As of 16 July, those among them who are interested can travel to Canada with their immediate family members in tow and apply for a work permit valid for three years, the first step towards being able to work with almost any employer in the country. Like them, their spouses and dependents can obtain a provisional resident visa with a study or work permit.
Facilitated paths for digital nomads
Under current immigration rules, digital nomads can stay in Canada for up to six months, working for a foreign company. This will soon change, as the country has devised the Tech Talent Strategy, details of which still need to be released. Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will work with public and private partners and provincial governments to determine the ideal policies for attracting remote workers, starting with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) specialists. This sector is growing at a fast pace, despite the shortage of personnel. A recent Statistics Canada survey shows that 36.9% of companies nationwide needed help filling available jobs.
“We expect that some digital nomads who initially enter Canada to work remotely will decide to seek opportunities with local employers, so when they receive a job offer they can bring their skills to the company and the country by applying for a temporary work permit or even permanent residency,” reads an IRCC statement.
More speed less bureaucracy
‘We are in a global race to grab the same talent pool as our competitors around the world. We have to win this race,’ said Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, on the desire to attract tech talent scattered around the world. In this regard, Fraser anticipated that the country is ready to launch new solutions for these workers, who ‘will be able to come to Canada and work for technology companies, regardless of whether they have a job offer or not’. It is a move that breaks with the immigration policies of those countries forced to control the flow of incoming migrants (such as the US and Australia), which are tied to the call of an employer.
The Canadian government’s intentions are clear, but they clash with the slow process of obtaining a visa: last April, there were 809,000 outstanding IRCC applications, which on 16 June had risen to 820,000. Beyond slogans, therefore, Canada needs to speed up the visa authorisation process and hire more staff to alleviate the backlog. Otherwise, some will always be left behind and with their lives on hold.
