Canada attracts more AI pros, thanks to immigration policies

Canada has clear pathways for skilled and talented candidates in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Technology (IT) to land up in prospective careers and permanent residence.

In June 2020, a study was conducted by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. The study attempted to examine how immigration policies help in supporting the AI sector and its competitiveness in 5 countries. These countries were France, the UK, Australia, the US, and Canada.

From the findings of the study, it was understood that when compared to the other 4 countries, in terms of immigration Canada came out to be the most flexible and versatile. Canada was also found to be particularly well-suited to support the efforts to draw in highly skilled international workers and compete for AI talent from around the world.

There are distinct reasons why Canada comes on top with its competence to attract new AI talent from other countries. These include:

• Unlike France, the UK, Australia, and the US, Canada immigration has no imposed limit on how long temporary foreign workers can stay in the country. The duration of the work permit is decided by the employer and the worker work in Canada accordingly.
• While processing of temporary visas and work permits take from 2 to 8 weeks in Canada, the same takes months in the other 4 countries. The processing time depends on the country the worker is applying from and the job position the worker is trying to take up. Also, the issuance of work permits happens throughout the year in Canada.
• Canada is the only country among the 5 that permits foreign workers with a work permit or temporary visa to apply for a permanent residence right away. In other countries, such a move can be made only in 3 to 5 years and also depends on quotas.
• There are over 100 immigration pathways that Canada offers to skilled workers. International talents may well be spoilt for choice.

Coming to Canada’s immigration policies, it has immigration systems like Express Entry which is a melting pot of prospective candidates looking to immigrate to Canada. They come from different parts of the world.

Express Entry, which is an immigration application management system, will have candidate profiles from the world over. They are ranked on the basis of factors like education, work experience, age, and proficiency in English or French language. Candidates who apply through Express Entry don’t need a job offer from Canada to apply for a permanent residence in the country.

Another channel of entry to Canada and specifically its provinces is the PNP (Provincial Nominee Program). Here, the provinces can nominate workers with qualifications and skills they need in their labor market and by the employers in the province.

Provinces like British Columbia and Ontario are the focal points of Canada’s tech sector. Experts in AI and IT will as well aim to immigrate to these provinces.

The Ontario Tech Pilot draw is held to find foreign workers with experience in any of the 6 listed tech occupations. BC PNP Tech Pilot invites candidates ready to immigrate with a job offer in any of the 29 tech jobs listed. They are invited to apply for a provincial nomination.

Canada has an immigration program named Global Talent Stream, which was started in 2017. It provides work visas within 2 weeks to eligible international workers.

Canada also has world’s most advanced AI companies and organizations. They operate across the country from Vancouver and Montreal. These companies play a major role in building the global image and improving position of Canada as a leader in the tech and AI industry.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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