Canada Calling: Scheme to woo H1B holders gets 10k applications in 48 hours but techie-turned-trucker warns there are few jobs in Canada

Canada’s tech sector has mostly been an afterthought, with its best talent often migrating to the U.S., leaving local companies struggling. But recent layoffs by American tech companies gave Canada an opportunity. The Canadian Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, saw this as the perfect chance to woo H1B visa holders, offering them stability and new career prospects in Canada. The scheme also extended to their immediate family members, allowing them to work or study in the country.

Attracting talent was the easy part; the real challenge lay in finding jobs to retain these tech workers.

The Indian Express spoke with a former techie, who came to Canada with considerable experience from India and abroad. However, he had to pivot after struggling to find meaningful employment in the tech sector. He is now a long-haul truck driver.

“Canada simply doesn’t have a thriving tech scene to accommodate all,” said the techie-turned-trucker, who chose to remain anonymous. “Most so-called tech jobs here are in IT support for non-tech companies – basically one or two jobs per company. And whatever is available doesn’t pay much.”Reflecting on his journey, he said: “I worked as a software programmer in India and South East Asia, but when I came here, I couldn’t find jobs that matched my experience and expectations. Then a friend suggested trucking, and I thought, no harm in trying. My first bi-weekly check was bigger than what I was offered for a month in IT jobs!”

Another desi techie-turned-trucker recently returned to the IT sector after eight years to escape the challenges of being on the road. However, he had to accept a considerable pay cut.

“I understand why those 10,000 applications came in so fast. There have been layoffs, and there’s an outrageously long waiting list of people who want to transition from H1B to the green card. But they’ll be in for a shock once they come to Canada and start job-hunting and house-hunting. Canadian tech jobs pay only half of what Silicon Valley tech jobs do, and the real estate here is as expensive as the Bay Area,” the former techie said.

15 desis arrested as police bust truck theft ring

Last week, fifteen Indo-Canadians were arrested in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for their involvement in an organized truck theft ring. Investigating under “Project Big Rig,” authorities targeted six locations within the GTA and successfully recovered over $9 million worth of stolen cargo and tractor-trailers. The suspects’ modus operandi involved cutting fences at truck yards to steal vehicles and cargo, which they later sold in the grey market. Police reported the recovery of 28 containers of stolen cargo valued at $6.99 million, along with 28 stolen tractors and trailers valued at $2.25 million, making the total recovery value $9.24 million.

Indian pizza delivery driver, killed in carjacking, was lured: Police

Gurvinder Nath, the 24-year-old Indian international student and pizza delivery driver who tragically died after a violent carjacking attempt in Mississauga, may have been lured by unidentified suspects through a food order, according to an update provided by the police last week.

Nath, who arrived in Canada in 2021 from SBS Nagar district in Punjab, was living in Brampton and working as a pizza delivery driver to support himself. On July 9, in the early hours, he went to deliver pizza to an address in Mississauga when he was violently assaulted, and his car was stolen. He was rushed to the hospital but sadly passed away on July 14.

Authorities revealed that they believe there are multiple suspects involved in the incident and that the food order was used as a means to lure Nath to the specific location. The police emphasised that Nath appeared to be an innocent victim, and there is no known connection between him and his attackers.

(Daksh Panwar is an Ontario-based journalist and broadcaster. Twitter: @Daksh280)