Over 15,000 Indian Tech Workers Migrate to Canada

Fed up with waiting for US H-1B visas, tech workers from India are moving to Canadian cities.

A recent study by The Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and Canada’s Tech Network (CTN India) found that more than 15,000 tech professionals from India have moved to Canada in the past year.

The study also found increased numbers coming from Brazil and Nigeria, helping to expand Canada’s talent pool.

Even American tech workers from cities like Washington DC, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia are moving to Canada in search of better tech job opportunities.

Unlike in the United States, the tech sector in Canada relies heavily on foreign workers. One of its visa programs, the Global Skills Strategy (GSS), allows tech companies to hire foreign workers even if there are capable Canadian workers who could fill the positions.

This unique aspect of the visa program has resulted in many US H-1B visa holders crossing the border into Canada since 2017. Meanwhile, a large number of tech workers from India have become permanent residents.

The number of people from India who became Canadian citizens grew from 32,828 in 2013 to 118,095 in 2022, an increase of 260%, according to an analysis of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).

The cities in Canada that have benefited the most from the arrival of tech experts are Mississauga and Montreal.