Canada’s technology sector is experiencing significant growth, as evidenced by the 32,115 tech workers who immigrated in the past year. The Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and Canada’s Tech Network (CTN) report on Tech Workforce Trends shows that this is partly due to the country’s immigration policies and cost advantages, which attract highly-skilled workers from across the globe.
Ontario saw the most significant increase in tech workers, while smaller provinces such as Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and Labrador experienced the most rapid growth. Understanding migration trends is crucial to supporting the tech ecosystem and filling the gap in Tech Workforce for available jobs.
The largest increase in Tech Workforce over the past year has been in Windsor, ON (28%), followed by Timmins, ON, and Cape Breton, NS.
The report states that this “is reflective of broader workforce trends, with largely remote Tech Workforce moving away from major metropolitan areas toward more rural locations.”
As the report also adds that, businesses with 1,000 or more employees require a large number of workers in the technology sector, and prior to the pandemic, Tech Workforce had relocated geographically to work for those employers. That dynamic was changed when the COVID-19 epidemic started. Due to the shift in the way the tech workforce operates from an office setting to more remote work, people are leaving major tech centers while companies are increasingly recruiting workers in the other direction. There has been much speculation regarding where these workers have gone, but no solid data is available as of yet.
Immigration Minister announced Canada’s new Tech Talent Strategy 2023
On June 27, 2023, Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), launched Canada’s first-ever Tech Talent Strategy at Collision 2023. The strategy aims to help businesses in Canada compete by attracting highly skilled workers in in-demand occupations and promoting Canada as a destination for digital nomads. The strategy includes:
- creating an open work permit stream for H-1B visa holders,
- expanding the Innovation Stream under the International Mobility Program,
- improving the Start-up Visa Program, and increasing spots for applicants
- a return to the Global Skills Strategy’s 14-day service requirement for work permits,
- promoting Canada as a place for digital nomads to live,
- the establishment of a STEM-specific draw as part of category-based selection to send out more invitations to apply through the Express Entry program
The government will prioritize applications supported by venture capital, angel investor groups, and business incubators. The goal is to attract the skills and business talent needed to create jobs for the future. Click here to read more about Canada’s new tech talent strategy details
Top Net Migration of Tech Workers by Country
- India (15,097 workers)
- Nigeria (1,808 workers)
- Brazil (1,675 workers)
- Ukraine (1,207 workers)
- Philippines (1,129 workers)
- Iran (1,046 workers)
- France (935 workers)
- UAE (744 workers)
- Hong Kong SAR (715 workers)
- Pakistan (588 workers)
Workers in the Tech Sector in Canada, by Province and Territories
- Saskatchewan (16.3%)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (16.3%)
- Manitoba (15.4%)
- Nova Scotia (14.3%)
- Alberta (14.3%)
- Ontario (13.7%)
- New Brunswick (12.9%)
- British Columbia (12.3%)
- Yukon (12.2%)
- Prince Edward Island (11.7%)
- Quebec (11.7%)
- Northwest Territories (9.4%)
- Nunavut (6.5%)
Workers in the Tech Sector in Canada by Cities
- Mississauga, Ontario (1,900 tech workers)
- Montreal, Quebec (959 tech workers)
- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (633 tech workers)
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada (557 tech workers)
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (525 tech workers)
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (456 tech workers)
- Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (437 tech workers)
- London, Ontario, Canada (418 tech workers)
- Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (363 tech workers)
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada (331 tech workers)
Want to know more details about “Canada welcomed More than 32,000 tech workers last year” you can contact one of our immigration specialists at Gunness & Associates.
Tel: (416) 604-2669
Email: info@immigrationmatters.info
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