Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 28
Canada will create an open work permit stream to allow 10,000 US H-1B visa holders to enter and work in the country, a move that could benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals.
Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said one of the programs was specifically aimed at the United States. “The H-1B open work permit for up to three years will be available until July 16. The spouses and dependents of these visa holders are also eligible for a temporary resident visa to work or study,” the Canadian government said in a press release.
We are recruiting professionals from the USA
- The nonimmigrant H-1B visa allows US companies to employ foreign workers in jobs that require technical expertise
- Canada hopes to attract skilled workers hit by massive layoffs by US tech giants
Thousands of highly skilled foreign workers, including Indians, have lost their jobs in the US due to a series of recent layoffs by companies including Google, Microsoft and Amazon. Almost two million IT workers have been laid off since November last year, according to US media reports.
Experts say between 30 and 40 percent of the professionals are Indian, a significant number of whom hold H-1B and L1 visas.