Silicon Valley was long considered the top destination for tech companies and talent, and for years talented Canadians went to the US for top tech jobs, both Canadians and others from around the world.
But in recent years, tech workers from across the globe have started to move to Canada more than ever before, making it the fastest-growing tech scene in North America.
Silicon Valley’s tech giant status has been toppled by its incredibly high cost of living and the US’ complicated immigration system where the number of H-1B visas handed out each year is limited.
Canada, on the other hand, has created a fast-track immigration pathway that gets some skilled foreigners’ work authorization in as little as ten days.
If you’re a tech professional in the US, and especially if in H-1B, F-1 OPT or other visa status, Canada is worth serious consideration.
The result has been a booming Canadian tech ecosystem that continues to grow. Massive US tech companies have opened offices in Canada, and Canadian unicorns are hiring like crazy.
Entrepreneurs have also found that investors are pouring money into Canada, which might explain why US companies are taking advantage of Canadian immigration and expanding there.
If you’re a tech professional in the US, and especially if in H-1B, F-1 OPT, or other visa status, Canada is worth serious consideration. You no longer have to choose between a good job but with an uncertain immigration future in the US vs. a mediocre job with a certain future in Canada.
Because now Canada is the place to build a fantastic career in tech!
So let’s talk about why you should look north as the perfect place to grow your tech career and how you can immigrate to Canada and make it happen.
Four reasons why US-based tech workers consider moving to Canada
Silicon Valley and even other major US tech hubs have lost a bit of their shine compared to Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
Toronto, for example, is slightly cheaper, incredibly immigrant-friendly (nearly 50% of residents were born outside of Canada), and has become a global hub for artificial intelligence pioneers.
So many tech-savvy folks have flocked to Canada for a variety of reasons. Here are four top reasons:
1. Exceptional immigration options
First, the country’s immigration rules have long prioritized newcomers who are educated and highly skilled.
It’s also important to note that Canada is an easy option for tech workers and founders leaving Silicon Valley.
Canada and the US share time zones, and it’s geographically easier to cross the border for meetings.
2. Cost of living
The cost of living in Canada is lower than in the US, and the tech salaries are relative for both markets, but Canada offers superior social benefits.
For example, the cost of the top Canadian Universities is 16-38% cheaper than at the best schools in the US
In Canada, the average annual tuition at a public college in 2021 was $6113.61 US dollars, compared to $17,797 at public institutions and $46,014 at private nonprofit institutions in the US
3. Universal healthcare system
Considering that medical bills are the largest source of debt for Americans (18% of Americans have medical debt and collection agencies held $140 billion in unpaid medical bills last year!)
It’s important to point out the benefits of Canada’s universal healthcare system.
The system is funded through taxes and Canadian citizens or permanent residents don’t have to pay for most healthcare services.
Canadians pay an annual average of $7,068 for healthcare, compared to approximately $10,739 that the average American can expect to spend annually on their health.
4. Immigrant-friendly reputation
We should also mention Canada’s global reputation for being the most welcoming country to migrants – there’s even data to back that claim up.
Feeling safe and welcome in a new country is important for immigrants who plan to take root.
Convinced yet that moving to Canada would be a big tech career boost?
Well, there are a number of immigration pathways for tech workers to move and work in Canada.
Two important immigration pathways for skilled tech workers
If you’re a tech worker in the US and you’re considering moving to Canada, there are two main routes you can take: keep your current US tech job (or get a new US-based tech job) and work remotely from Canada or get a new job with a Canadian employer.
Let’s go in reverse order.
Get a new job with a Canadian employer
If you’re looking for a brand new job in Canada with a Canadian employer, the Global Talent Stream is the best route.
Canada created the GTS as a way to attract highly skilled workers and to empower Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill specialized jobs.
...the Global Talent Stream is a popular immigration pathway because its expedited processing means that you can have a work permit in less than two weeks, and the program is an excellent pathway to permanent immigration to Canada.
In less than two weeks you can get authorization to work in Canada through GTS, which is hands down Canada’s fastest immigration pathway for workers.
In order to be eligible, you must have a job offer from a Canadian employer that is seeking workers for a specialized or in-demand occupation from the Global Talent Occupations List.
Despite these restrictions, the Global Talent Stream is a popular immigration pathway because its expedited processing means that you can have a work permit in less than two weeks, and the program is an excellent pathway to permanent immigration to Canada.
Another popular pathway to Canada is the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). Eleven of Canada’s provinces and territories have developed their own immigration programs as a way to attract workers with specific skills.
Each PNP is customized to accelerate its immigration processing in order to fill gaps in the labor market.
The first step is completing a PNP application that must be approved by a province in a process that takes two weeks to nine months, depending on the province.
Once you’ve been approved — or nominated — your application needs federal approval that can take up to six months to complete.
The Global Talent Stream and Provincial Nominee Programs are the two most popular ways to find work in Canada.
But if you already have a US tech job that you love and want to keep, or if you’d rather work for a US tech company, there’s another option.
Work at a US tech company remotely from Canada with the help of a PEO
It’s possible to work for a US tech company but do so remotely from Canada – with a little help from a PEO.
A Professional Employer Organization — commonly referred to as a PEO — enables US-based companies to remotely hire workers in Canada without needing to have an office or any other legal presence there.
Imagine this: a tech worker with a job at an American company wants to move to Canada but keep their current position. A Canada-based PEO — like Syndesus — acts as the legal employer of this tech employee.
You get to keep your American job, but get all the perks of living in Canada.
The PEO would have the worker on their Canadian payroll and handle all the technical and legal aspects of employment such as providing a Canadian offer letter, issuing paychecks, managing employee benefits, and more.
At the same time, the original US tech company would still be 100% in control of the job duties, would be the one paying the salary, can still offer stock options, and more.
It would feel like any other remote job – it’s as if the US company had an office in Canada.
You get to keep your American job, but get all the perks of living in Canada.
So whether you want to take your American job to Canada or start fresh with a new tech job, you have plenty of pathways for Canadian immigration.
Syndesus can help you move your life, and your tech career, to Canada
If you are at risk to not receive an H-1B and would like to keep your current US-based tech job, it’s possible for your employer to keep you employed, but in Canada through a PEO.
Syndesus would help you apply for the right Canadian work visa, relocate to Canada, and continue to work for your American company.
So, if you’re considering a move to Canada, Syndesus can walk you through the logistics of relocating.
If your company isn’t willing to relocate you, or you are thinking about a bigger change, Path to Canada, which is a service of Syndesus, can match you with Canadian tech jobs that may sponsor you.
Visit the Syndesus website 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 of qualified candidates seeking to move to Canada and get matched with a Canadian tech employer!
