Canada announces a $1.7 billion program to recruit top H1B visa holders from America

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Also embedded in Budget 2025 is a headline-grabbing talent-attraction measure: an accelerated permanent-residence pathway for holders of U.S. H-1B specialty-occupation visas. Details released on Nov 4 confirm Ottawa’s intent to build on the one-year H-1B open-work-permit pilot launched in 2024 and convert it into a fast-track stream that offers direct permanent residence once eligibility criteria are met.

The pathway forms part of a broader International Talent Attraction Strategy that earmarks CA$1.7 billion over 13 years for 1,000 new research chairs, relocation grants for PhD students and post-docs, and funding to speed up foreign-credential recognition—especially in health care and construction. Officials say the package is designed to counter both a U.S. fee hike on H-1Bs and fierce global competition for STEM labour.

https://www.visahq.com/news/2025-11-04/ca/canada-to-launch-accelerated-pr-pathway-for-us-h-1b-visa-holders/