Ottawa may be closing some of its immigration doors, but it’s rolling out the red carpet for highly-skilled workers on U.S. visas.
Driving the news: The federal government is planning to launch an accelerated immigration pathway to attract top talent currently working on H-1B visas in the U.S.
- Companies have long relied on H-1B visas to bring in skilled foreign workers, particularly tech employees.
- With the U.S. recently adding a US$100,000 application fee for the visa stream, Ottawa sees a chance to pounce on a potential talent exodus.
Catch-up: Given the price tag and long odds of landing one of these visas, some immigration lawyers say that the six-figure application fee will essentially kill the program. Walmart — the largest employer in the U.S. — has already stopped offering jobs to candidates who need an H-1B visa.
- Meanwhile, the number of U.S. job postings offering visa sponsorship has plummeted from 10.9% in 2023 to just 1.9% in 2025.
Why it matters: Ottawa is shifting its immigration strategy to prioritize admitting fewer, more highly qualified people — its decision to cut temporary resident visas by ~50% was also part of this policy change.
Yes, but: It’s not clear that H-1B visa holders actually want to come to Canada. In 2023, the feds launched a similar program to lure people on H-1B visas, and while it reached its 10,000 applicant cap in just 48 hours, only 1,625 of them actually ended up coming to Canada—LA