Despite recent tech layoffs in the US and some in Canada, tech skills are still in incredibly high demand and will continue to be for years to come. Because of this, tech workers often have a choice of where to live in the world, so how do you choose?
Canada’s overall booming tech sector and quality of life is a major draw for skilled workers worldwide. With a high demand for tech workers, increasing opportunities, and some unique benefits, here’s why Canada should be at the top of your list when considering where to take your talents!
Tech workers should consider Canada for these 7 reasons
Canada is an attractive option if you are a tech professional looking for new opportunities and an exciting place to live and work. With diverse career paths, low unemployment rates, and global companies with top-notch benefits, here are seven reasons Canada could be the perfect fit for you.
1. Tech job opportunities
Immigration is a vital cog in Canada’s labor market due to its long-term history of labor shortages and the current record-low unemployment rate. Immigrants have seen significant improvements in terms of job opportunities as well as earnings growth over the last decade.
Toronto is now the third-largest technology hub in North America, and it is estimated that Canadian employers will need to fill an additional 250,000 technology jobs by 2025.
Immigration continues to be valued by the government, and tech workers are in as high demand as ever in Canada, making it an ideal choice.
2. Friendly immigration system
Canada is actively encouraging immigration making it easy for tech workers to immigrate via the Global Talent Stream (GTS), which is designed to expedite and ease the processing time for visa and work permit applications for foreign nationals.
Skilled workers can obtain a Canadian work permit and rapidly pursue Canadian residence and citizenship. It’s a much smoother system compared with other programs — such as the US H-1B system — as it’s a much shorter processing time and doesn’t involve lotteries or annual caps.
Canada aims to welcome over 300,000 new immigrants each year, so participating in GTS is a smart way to set yourself up for a future in tech work in Canada.
3. Thriving economy
Canada’s ability to maintain its economic stability through the COVID-19 pandemic makes it an appealing destination for those looking for financial security.
By 2021, Canada’s economy had bounced back stronger than ever and was growing at a rate of 6.7%. This exceptional recovery and subsequent growth — the OECD has forecasted that, in 2022, Canada’s economy will expand by 3.8% — has made overseas workers, particularly tech workers, increasingly sought after by employers across provinces to fill labor market gaps.
4. Diverse population
Feeling safe and welcome is important for anyone planning to take root in a new country.
For more than three decades, Canada has been a leader in embracing diversity. Immigrants already make up one-fifth of Canada’s population.
If current trends persist, half of the country’s population will be foreign-born or have at least one immigrant parent in 2036. Canada has a global reputation for being the most welcoming country to migrants – there’s even data to back that claim up.
5. World-class education
Canada’s tech industry is booming partly because education forms the foundation for the quality of tech labor in Canada. Canada has been ranked as one of the most educated countries globally.
An impressive 56% of Canadians have at least some college or university education — those who don’t are still afforded quality schooling due to universal free public schools and mandatory laws.
The cost of attending top-rated colleges and universities is typically much lower than comparable institutions in the United States. Several of Canada’s post-secondary schools have been rated among the world’s best universities, and the best computer science programs in Canada can be found at the University of Toronto.
6. High safety ratings
Canada is incredibly safe, with a significantly lower crime rate than most other countries. As recently as 2022, it was found that gun-related crimes in the US were three times higher than in Canada.
Not only that, but global surveys consistently rank Canada among the top five safest nations globally as well as a particularly safe destination for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
7. Accessible healthcare
Canadians are privileged to have access to medical services protected by a national health insurance system, regardless of income level. Every province and territory has a local healthcare plan with varying levels of coverage.
Immigrants can sign up for their provincial or territorial plans at no cost, after which they will receive a valid health card. Some of the perks include free health care without deductibles and up to eighteen months of partially paid parental leave if they have children.
Canadians enjoy the same benefits that many Americans only obtain if they work for the most generous, prestigious businesses.
If Canada sounds like an ideal destination and you are wondering what your next steps should be, then we can help.
If you’re a tech worker and want to move to Canada, Syndesus can help!
Whether you want to take your American job to Canada or start fresh with a new tech job, Syndedus has a service for you.
If you’re currently employed for a company in a tech role, and your employer is open to (or actively encouraging) you to relocate to Canada, then they can hire you remotely by using our PEO and EOR services. A Canada-based PEO — like Syndesus — enables a US-based company to hire workers remotely in Canada without needing a Canadian office.
On the other hand, if you’d like to work for a Canadian employer directly, then Path to Canada can help. Foreign-born tech workers can explore Canadian jobs and connect with Canadian tech companies willing to sponsor a work visa via our tech recruiting marketplace.
Our team of experts can help you open a bank account, rent an apartment, and find the perfect school for your kid. But we can also help you get to Canada in the first place.
Reach out to us to learn more about how we can help you work remotely for a US tech company from Canada, or join our Path to Canada database if you’re eager to work with a Canadian tech company.
