Canada is increasingly positioning itself as a global destination for technology professionals seeking better opportunities and stability.
With the United States proposing a $100,000 H-1B visa petition fee, Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, recently announced that the country will develop a “clear offering” for skilled foreign workers in the tech sector affected by the proposed US visa fee hike.
While full details of this new offering are yet to be released, Canada already has several well-established immigration routes tailored to attract global tech talent.
The country’s tech-friendly immigration system provides both temporary work permits and permanent residence (PR) pathways. Over the years, Canada’s approach has helped multinational companies and startups recruit top-tier tech workers from around the world.
According to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), category-based selection draws have also been introduced under the Express Entry system to specifically target Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals.
Major immigration pathways for tech professionals
Canada offers several programs for skilled tech workers seeking to work or settle in the country. These include:
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) –Processing time is typically two weeks.
The TFWP is one of the most common entry points for skilled workers seeking employment in Canada. It allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals for various positions once they secure a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), proving that no qualified Canadian is available for the role.
The immigration pathway for tech professionals in TFWP is the Global Talent Stream (GTS), which expedites the hiring process for high-demand occupations in technology and innovation. Under this stream, the average LMIA processing time is just eight business days, compared to several months under other categories.
Tech workers can qualify for the Global Talent Stream under Category A or Category B.
- Category A applies when a job offer comes from an innovative Canadian company referred by one of the program’s designated partners and the role requires unique and specialised expertise. To qualify, employees must earn at least $38.46 per hour (or $80,000 annually) or meet the prevailing wage for their occupation, possess advanced industry knowledge, and hold an advanced degree or five years of specialised experience.
- Category B, on the other hand, applies to job offers in occupations listed under Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) global talent occupations list, which includes roles such as software engineers, civil engineers, and information systems analysts.
International Mobility Program (IMP) –Processing time ranges between two to four months.
The International Mobility Program provides another pathway for skilled professionals, offering work permits that are LMIA-exempt but generally have stricter eligibility requirements. Within this framework, tech workers often qualify through Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs) or the Innovation Stream.
ICTs allow multinational corporations to move key employees to their Canadian offices, helping expand operations in the country. Eligible employees must have been continuously employed by the company for at least one year in the past three years in a similar role.
Positions typically fall under executives, senior managers, or employees with specialized knowledge, making this option suitable for tech professionals with advanced technical or managerial expertise.
Innovation Stream –Processing time is about two weeks
The Innovation Stream, introduced under Canada’s Global Hypergrowth Project (GHP), allows skilled workers to obtain employer-specific work permits if they have a job offer from one of eight participating companies. These include Ada, AlayaCare, CellCarta, Clarius Mobile Health, Clio, Lightspeed Commerce, Duchesnay Pharmaceutical Group, and Vive Crop Protection.
To qualify, the job must be in a skilled occupation under NOC TEER categories 0 to 3, and the worker must meet the education and experience requirements listed for that role.
It offers an LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permit for candidates with job offers from companies
Express Entry (Category-Based Selection Draws) –Processing time is six months
For those seeking permanent residency, the Express Entry system remains the primary route. It manages applications under three federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Applicants are assessed based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which assigns scores based on age, education, language proficiency in English or French, and work experience.
Periodically, the federal government conducts draws, inviting the highest-scoring candidates to apply for PR.
Tech professionals often have a competitive edge in these draws, especially under Canada’s STEM category, one of the priority streams for 2025. This means even candidates with slightly lower CRS scores could still receive invitations if they work in eligible tech-related occupations.
Qualifying STEM occupations include software engineers, data scientists, computer programmers, civil engineers, and information system analysts, among others.
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) –Beyond federal options, several provinces operate PNPs tailored to attract tech professionals.
To qualify, candidates must first receive a provincial nomination and then apply to the federal government for permanent residence. Nominees must also show intent to live and work in the nominating province and meet the program’s eligibility criteria.
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) – It conducts dedicated tech draws under the Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream. Eligible candidates with experience in select tech occupations may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the province. Once nominated, they earn an additional 600 CRS points, significantly increasing their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for PR. Processing time is about seven months.
- Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway – This is part of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), which targets candidates with active Express Entry profiles who are working in or have valid job offers from Alberta-based tech employers. To qualify, the applicant’s occupation on their Express Entry profile must match the job offer’s occupation. Processing time is around seven months.
- Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway –The Tech Talent Pathway under SINP is open to candidates with job offers in high-skilled tech roles. Employers must hold a Job Approval Letter from SINP before the candidate applies. Applicants are assessed based on work experience, language ability, and education. They may apply through either the Express Entry or non-Express Entry process, depending on their profile. Processing time ranges from seven months (Express Entry) to 18 months (non-Express Entry).
