Accelerated H-1B Pathway This is a new, streamlined route for current and former U.S. H-1B visa holders (and their families) to get Canadian Permanent Residency (PR). * Goal: To attract top global talent in high-demand fields (Tech, Research, Healthcare) who are seeking stability outside of the U.S. H-1B system's lottery, fees, and uncertainty. * Style: It will not be a lottery like the H-1B. It's an immigration stream designed to provide a faster and more predictable path to permanent residence. * Target: It builds on a successful 2023 program that offered Open Work Permits (OWP) to H-1B holders. The new pathway is expected to focus on a direct or accelerated route to PR for these highly skilled individuals, targeting up to 33,000 work permit holders for PR transition in 2026-2027. The full eligibility criteria and official launch date are still to be announced by the Canadian government. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) The CRS is the points-based system used to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool—Canada's main skilled worker immigration application management system. * Purpose: To score and rank candidates based on their potential for economic success in Canada. * Factors: Points are awarded for human capital factors like: * Age * Education Level * Official Language Proficiency (English/French test scores) * Work Experience (Canadian and foreign, like your H-1B experience) * The Draw: Every few weeks, the government holds an Express Entry draw and issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) for PR to candidates whose CRS score is above the cut-off for that draw. Your U.S. H-1B experience is highly valuable and will count as foreign skilled work experience, giving you points toward your CRS score!
