Canada is still interested in attracting H-1B Visa Holders and now potentially for direct permanent residence through Express Entry.
As an immigration Officer working at the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles for many years, I can
confirm that Canada has been promoting its immigration path and trying to attract H-1B visa holders in the US since the early 2000s.
Canada is once again looking south of the border in its renewed efforts to attract highly skilled
international talent more specifically the H-1B Visa Holders.
H-1B Visa Holders have also been put through a series of complex and worrisome changes with the current administration for the last year or and may find Canada a more reassuring pathway to
permanent residence in North America. As such, many H-1B Visa Holders have been considering leaving the current uncertainty and anxiety and are attentively looking at Canada as their next move.
We know that talks are in the works for what could be one of the most notable proposals that could leverage Express Entry to attract H-1B visa holders currently working in the United States, potentially creating a new direct pathway to Canadian permanent residence for highly skilled professionals in the US on the H-1B status.
In the United States, the H-1B visa allows U.S. employers to hire foreign nationals in specialty
occupations that generally require highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification. H-1B holders are heavily represented in sectors such as technology, engineering, science, medicine and other highly skilled professions that Canada is seeking to attract still.
As explained, Canada has targeted H-1B Workers before and for many years now, but this would not be Canada's first initiative aimed specifically at H-1B visa holders. In July 2023, the federal government introduced a special open work permit for H-1B visa holders in the United States. Interest was astonishing: and in fact, the program reached its cap of 10,000 principal applicants in just two days. Our firm has been able to help many clients in this stream.
Overall, the initiative demonstrated the continued significant interest among U.S.-based skilled workers in opportunities to live and work in Canada.
This Time, Permanent Residence Could Be the Focus of IRCC
The latest proposal could represent an important shift in Canada's strategy though. Rather than offering H-1B holders temporary work authorization, the government may be considering using Express Entry, Canada's principal economic immigration selection system, to attract these workers for direct permanent resident in Canada. Something that is often very difficult to achieve in the USA.
If implemented, this could potentially provide eligible H-1B professionals with a more direct route
toward Canadian permanent residence. However, the details are still unknown and will be critical.
At this stage, IRCC has not announced the complete eligibility criteria or mechanics of the potential initiative. Several important questions therefore remain unanswered:
Will candidates need Canadian work experience?
Will the initiative target specific occupations or sectors?
Will applicants need to qualify under an existing Express Entry program and enter the Express Entry profile/pool first?
Will H-1B status itself provide an advantage in the selection process and how?
Will it reduce processing times for those that meet the criteria?
Will IRCC create a dedicated Express Entry category or otherwise prioritize eligible H-1B holders?
Until IRCC releases the program details, H-1B holders should be cautious about assuming that they will automatically qualify. What is clear, however, is that Canada continues to view highly skilled professionals working in the United States as an important source of talent. And in turn, H-1B visas holders in the US continue to show an interest in Canada. Recently, for H-1B workers facing increasing cost and uncertainty or seeking a long-term alternative in North America, this is a development monitoring closely.
Beaudoin Immigration Consulting will continue to monitor IRCC announcements and provide updates as eligibility requirements and implementation details become available.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.
September 6, 2026
Article by Annie Beaudoin
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant - RCIC #R533869
Former bilingual Designated Immigration Officer for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada-Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles.
Founder and President of Beaudoin Immigration Consulting.
Speaker/Expert presenter & Member of Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC), LPEN, IMEDA, Imm Seminars, etc.
Professor of Immigration Law at l'Université de Montréal and at Queen's University
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