The Canadian information technology (IT) sector is currently growing. Over the past few years, the Canadian government has taken steps to attract the world’s best IT companies and the most promising professionals. IT workers, such as Designers, Computer engineers, etc., may be eligible to apply for Canada PR Visa without a job offer, under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) programs. Many IT workers can also come to Canada as temporary foreign workers if they get a Canadian job offer and work permit. Once in Canada, IT workers can enjoy high paying jobs and one of the greatest qualities of life in the world.

Canada’s IT industry Landscape

IT is one of the most successful industries in Canada. With full employment statistically, professionals in the field seem to have a good chance of finding and keeping employment. IT profession is one of the highly paid professions in Canada-based on their expertise; The Information Technology Association of Canada said in a recent publication that IT professionals receive an average salary of 52% above the national standard.

The average Canadian computer engineer earns a salary ranging from $ 70,000 to over $ 100,000 per year, depending on their experience and expertise. Web designers and database analysts have been named on a recent list as earning some of the 20 highest starting salaries in Canada. Even recent graduates in these fields with little or no work experience earn on average more money than their peers in other industries, starting with a salary of around $ 45,000 / year.

Need for IT Workers in Canada

The Information and Technology Association of Canada said that “successful recruitment and retraining of internationally trained professionals is critical to the health of businesses.” Indeed, with 106,000 unfilled IT jobs expected over the next four years alone, foreign workers are likely to become increasingly needed to ensure the continued growth of the industry.

In a recent study for Industry Canada, it was revealed that every IT company interviewed was actively hiring new employees. Of these, three-quarters believed there was a significant shortage of local Canadian talent, and two-thirds resorted to foreign recruiting to retain a significant percentage of their new employees.

Fortunately for IT professionals, there are several ways to come to Canada and fill these vacancies. The Tech industry has a wide range of employment opportunities for the skilled workers and the Canadian has taken steps to help these valuable employees immigrate to Canada relatively quickly and easily.

Extra edge as an IT professional for Canada PR Visa

There is a range of immigration programs open to IT professionals. Two popular categories of immigration to Canada, the FSW – managed by Express entry program and QSW programs, have included certain areas of IT in their lists of eligible occupations/areas of training. The FSW program is currently open to computer engineers and you can check your chances of getting the ITA for PR Visa by calculating your CRS score with our CRS calculator, while the QSW program awards points for a wide range of computer-related occupations. These include computer engineering, IT support, IT, and IT techniques.

Also, Canada recently launched an exciting new program designed to attract promising immigrant entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur Start-Up Visa program grants successful applicants Canadian permanent residence and helps them obtain funding and support to establish their business in Canada.

The program has been advertised in places like Silicon Valley in the United States. The Canadian federal government has promoted the Start-up visa program as a straightforward alternative for potential immigrants who are frustrated with difficult immigration processes in other countries and who are looking to settle and start their business in the country and live as a permanent resident.

Move to Canada as a Temporary Worker

With an economy in search of talented IT professionals, IT workers who want to work in Canada don’t necessarily have to wait for Canadian PRs.

There are over 250,000 foreign workers in Canada working in various fields. To come to Canada as a temporary worker, you must be offered a job in Canada and receive a temporary work permit. 

Canada has several international agreements that facilitate the entry of foreign workers. Perhaps the most popular is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which facilitates the work permit process for American and Mexican citizens who come to Canada to work in specific professions. Computer systems analysts and graphic designers are among these occupations.

No Job-offer required in Express entry program

The data confirms that this decision significantly shifted the number of ITAs for permanent residence in Canada in favor of applicants with higher so-called human capital scores, namely applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker category of Express entry.

Factors related to human capital include age, proficiency in English and French, education, and work experience. Together, they provide what is known as a candidate’s base Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which can reach a maximum of 600 points. In its study, IRCC says that “these factors are strongly correlated with higher earning potential.”

Switching to additional CRS points for a Canadian job posting took them from 600 to between 50 and 200 points, depending on the position. Check your CRS score with our CRS calculator and know your chances of getting an ITA for PR Visa

Other changes were also introduced at the same time, namely points for Canadian studies, an expansion of what constitutes an eligible job, and an increase in the time that applicants with an ITA had to submit their application for Canada PR Visa.

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