September 2nd, 2023 at 06:17 am

Latest Express Entry Draw & Global Tech Workers | IRCC Latest Updates

We’ll talk about the most recent Express Entry draw and the IRCC’s invitation to additional candidates in this episode. In the most recent Express Entry draw for 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has extended invitations to more applicants. In an all-program Express entry draw, the immigration authorities issued 4,300 invitations to apply (ITAs) to applicants on August 15. The CRS minimum for a comprehensive ranking was 496.

Overview of Recent Express Entry Results (August 2nd)

The IRCC held a category-based draw on August 2nd, inviting individuals from the express entry pool who could speak French. 800 ITAs were given out by the department to people with a minimum CRS score of 435. Since July 12, this was the first draw only for French speakers.

August 1st

On August 1, IRCC performed an all-program Express entry draw, inviting 2,000 applicants from each of the three programs covered by the express admission method. Thus, the Canadian experience class (CEC), the federal skilled trades program (FSTP), and the federal skilled worker program (FSWP). Invited candidates had a CRS of at least 517.

July 11-12th

On July 12, the IRCC distributed 3800 ITAs for PR status in a category-based selection draw for candidates who spoke French. To be invited, applicants needed a CRS score of at least 375. This draw’s raw CRS score was the lowest of the previous month. Another all-program Express admission draw was held on July 11. Candidates having a minimum CRS score of 505 received 800 ITAs from IRCC.

July 4-7th

Since there were four consecutive draws during this time, it was one of the busiest in Express Entry’s history.

For the immigration system dot, a first. Canada held a targeted Express entry draw on July 7 for applicants who could speak French. This draw awarded ITAs to 2,300 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 439.

The second category-based Express entry draw for healthcare professionals was held on July 6 by the IRCC. The department sent invitations to 1,500 Healthcare Professionals with a minimum CRS of 463 from the expedited entrance pool.

For the first time, the immigration service staged a targeted draw on July 5 for professionals in the STEM fields of science, technology, electronics, and mathematics. 500 ITAs were given out in this round to stem professionals who had at least a 486 CRS.

800 applicants were invited by IRCC to participate in an all-program Express admission draw on July 4th. For this draw, a CRS score of 511 was required.

June 27-28th

The first targeted category-based draw in Express entry history took place on June 28. 500 individuals with experience in the healthcare industry were encouraged to apply for PR by the IRCC. For this draw, a CRS score of 476 was required. The immigration authority invited 4,300 applicants from all three Express entry programs with a minimum CRS score of 486 for the June 27 all-program Express entrance lottery.

Global Tech Workers

32,000 new immigrants from the global tech workforce entered Canada in one year. More than 32,000 workers from the Global Tech business arrived in Canada between April 2022 and March 2023. The Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and Canada’s Tech Network (CTN) have recently published a paper on this subject.

Top Destinations for Tech Workers Across Canada

Report from TECNA and CTN

This research claims that Canada has attracted a sizable number of tech workers, mostly due to its immigration-friendly national policies and competitive labor costs. Insight on how globalization has impacted the movement of IT occupations in North America is sought-after by this.

According to TECNA and CTN, the advent of remote work has caused tech talent to depart from conventional tech hubs more frequently. This claims that the Canadian-specific COVID-19 pandemic is a contributing factor in the report. According to the report, a large number of computer talent migrants continue to come from Brazil, Nigeria, and India to Canada.

However, rising investments by US-based digital companies in Canada are another factor contributing to the country’s booming innovation sector. Due to geographical proximity and an advantageous pay gap, these investments have grown to some extent. More than 400,000 software developers worked in Canada as of 2022, and the country’s IT workforce has expanded throughout all markets, not just the larger ones.

In reality, smaller provinces with high-tech workforce growth rates include Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. Smaller rural Canadian areas, like Windsor, Ontario, have witnessed the biggest rise in tech professionals over the past year, with a growth rate of 16.3% compared to the previous year.

Reflecting the impact of the increase in remote employment across North America and a trend towards rural areas. Over the past year, the number of tech workers in Windsor has increased by 28%.

In Canada, the most in-demand IT talents include customer experience, Microsoft Azure, analytical skills, Amazon web services, data science, GitHub, customer happiness, and customer relationship management, according to a joint survey from Tecna and CTN.

Top Cities for Tech Talent in Canada

The TECNA-CTN research also highlighted some of Canada’s most desirable cities for top tech talent. Canada’s most desirable tech centers. a list that featured two Ontario cities and one Quebec city. The research ranked Mississauga (ON), Montreal (QUE), and Waterloo (ON) as the top three cities in that order. We’ll get into what makes each of these places a desirable Tech hub for immigrants in more detail below.

Mississauga

a city with about 1,000 businesses in the information technology (IT) industry. With more than 300,000 tech professionals in the area, Mississauga is a member of the second-largest information and communication technology (ICT) cluster in North America. Operations of well-known IT firms including Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, HP, and Cognizant Tech are located here.

Strong local government programs like the Mississauga Innovation and Technology Acceleration Program (MITAP) also significantly encourage innovation in this area. A program in the technology sector called MITAP offers funding, guidance, and resources to regional companies. Mississauga is also home to several rapidly expanding tech companies, such as Saudi Guidewire Software, HCL Technologies, and Infosys.

This region of Canada promises to create a steady supply of IT talent going ahead into the near and distant future with a population growth estimate anticipating Mississauga would be home to 995,000 people by 2051, a 33 percent gain from 2016.

Montreal

One of Canada’s most thriving tech ecosystems is located in Montreal, where it grew by almost 31% between 2015 and 2020. This city, which has Canada’s second-largest IT market, is well-known as a significant IT and artificial intelligence (AI) hub. More than 200 Canadian game production studios, including Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and WB Games, have their Canadian headquarters in Montreal, the city chosen as the basis of operations for multinational businesses including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Samsung, and Intel.

In terms of development, this city is regarded as a cradle for numerous prosperous Tech companies. a group of businesses that comprises Nouveau, AI Imagine, and CGI Hopper Element. Additionally, Montreal sponsors several well-known startup-focused events, such as Startup Fist and MTL Connect Montreal Digital Week. With approximately 18,000 students participating in tech programs across the city, Quebec also offers the IT industry excellent academic assistance.

Waterloo

Waterloo is one of the top 20 startup ecosystems in the world and is home to approximately 1,570 tech-related enterprises, including key industry staples like D2L and BlackBerry. Looking ahead, this city benefits from the University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University, and Conestoga College, which contribute to the local production and development of a bright IT workforce.

Another reason Waterloo has nearly twice the industry average survival rate for ICT companies is that the city has a strong quality of life that enables it to continue luring and keeping excellent personnel. Additionally, Waterloo is a city that draws a lot of venture capital investment, highlighting its status as a developing Canadian tech center and Canada’s ambitions to draw in tech employees from around the world.

It is essential to recognize that Canada is making a considerable effort to draw in global tech talent if one is to comprehend the findings of the TECNA-CTN Report described above. This is being done through the implementation of the government’s new tech Talent strategy and category-based express entry draws, both of which will aid in the expansion of this industry across Canada by drawing in more competent employees to the sector. The Tech Talent Strategy in Canada

By creating an innovation stream under the International Mobility Program (IMP), the Canadian government hopes to continue advancing its efforts to become a global leader in the recruitment of IT talent.

First and foremost, promoting Canada as a location for digital nomads
Second, facilitating the application process for Canadian work permits for US citizens with H-1B specialty occupation visas would increase labor mobility in North America.
Additionally, enhancing current initiatives that support professionals in high-skill Tech occupations through category-based Express entry draws for Tech occupations

Final Words

For federal immigration applicants who fit Canada’s most pressing economic and demographic needs in 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) started holding category-based Express entry lotteries on June 28. Candidates for immigration with experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are eligible for one of the six selected categories. This is consistent with Canada’s stated goal of attracting more global tech talent to the nation.

Visit Newsnowgh.com for the most up-to-date information on changes to visa criteria, prospective paths to obtaining legal residency, and others.

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