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A biennial immigration survey was recently conducted to outline experiences and challenges faced by new arrivals in the Waterloo region of Ontario. The Waterloo Region of Ontario is a tech hub and attracts a lot of global talent to study, work and eventually, qualify for Canadian permanent residency.
Many choose Waterloo Region because of the reputation of local post-secondary institutions and job offers.
The Waterloo Region has the highest concentration of the Information Technology and Analytical Instruments sector in Canada, based on population. It is majorly a hub for startups and tech talent with over 1600 tech-related businesses.
The Waterloo Region Immigration Survey Report 2021 covered nearly 1,500 participants belonging to various immigrant groups like international students, temporary workers, and their families. Over 33% of respondents belonged to Asian countries.
Canada PR Options for Tech Talents
Immigration in Canada means obtaining permanent residency.
Express Entry Year-End Report noted tech occupations dominated among candidates who were invited to apply for Canada permanent residence.
Federal immigration programs
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Express Entry System
Aspirants choose Canada because of its direct permanent residence pathway.
Any prospective candidate who seeks to obtain Canada permanent residency must register their profiles online on the Express Entry portal. All the registered profiles are then assessed and ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Such profiles are evaluated on a total of 1200 points. The human capital criteria like
- age,
- education,
- work experience outside Canada,
- language proficiency in English/French,
- spouse adaptability,
- Canadian study experience, etc. are considered for evaluation purposes.
Tech workers qualify for any of the two federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Canada Express Entry.
FSWP was the main source of foreign skilled immigrants to Canada without a job offer.
CEC profiles mostly benefit international student graduates who had gained at least one year of work experience and were eligible to apply for permanent residency.
Provincial nominee programs
After receiving provincial nominations from any of the below provincial streams, you can apply to the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to qualify for permanent residency.
Provincial nominees with active Express Entry profiles are awarded 600 points over and above their usual Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. This may guarantee an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residency in upcoming PNP-specific Express Entry draws.
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Ontario Tech Draws
Ontario conducts Tech Draws for tech workers who are eligible for the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream.
Interested candidates are required to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Eligible for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class.
- They also need to have work experience in one of the following six tech occupations.
In 2022, Ontario will invite up to 9,700 new immigrants to the province through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
Eligible occupations to receive targeted nomination under Tech draws include
- software engineers and designers;
- computer engineers;
- computer programmers and interactive media developers;
- web designers and developers;
- database analysts, and data administrators;
- computer and information systems managers.
Other Canada PR options for tech professionals include:
- Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway
- British Columbia Tech Stream
- Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway
- Quebec Immigration Program
If you’re looking to plan your immigration anytime soon, get in touch with a certified immigration consultant like CanApprove to determine your available options based on your work experience or academic profile.
