Japa: Canada, Germany Announce Job Opportunities For Nigerians, Others

Canada has unveiled its first-ever immigration tech talent mechanism that will establish new job opportunities for Nigerian citizens and others.

The new job opportunities are announced a few days after Germany passed an immigrant law created to encourage more people from outside the European Union to come to the country for work.

The talent strategy which was launched at the 2023 Collision Conference in Toronto includes new measures and improvements on existing measures to help businesses in Canada thrive in a competitive landscape, Toronto News reported.

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“Over this year, Canada is going to be developing a specific stream for some of the world’s most highly talented people that will be able to come to Canada to work for tech companies whether they have a job offer or not,” Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said on Tuesday.

“We are going to be launching a digital Nomads strategy which is going to allow people, who have a foreign employer to come and work in Canada for up to six months,” he said.

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Fraser disclosed that talented people will reside in communities in the county and spend money and if land the job offers while they are here, will be allowed to continue to stay and work in the country.

“Finally, we have been watching very closely what has been going on in the tech sector in the United States where we have seen a public narrative about layoffs. We have been having private conversations about opportunities” he added.

The minister said from July 16, they will have a stream that will allow 10,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States to come and work in Canada.

“The reality is that you have the ideas but you need the talents. You have told us that and we have been listening. We are going to do everything we can to push Canada as the destination where your ideas can become a reality,’ he said.

Canada’s aging population and lower birth rate have been shrinking its labour force, forcing the country to intensify its efforts to attract large, young and vibrant immigrants by offering immigration-friendly policies.

The country landed 437,120 Permanent Residents (PRs) in 2022, a nearly eight per cent rise from the total number of PRs in 2021, according to data the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

For Nigeria, it grew by 41.9 per cent to 22,130 last year from 15,595 in the previous year.

Last year, the Canadian federal government announced a massive plan to take in 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025, with almost 1.5 million new immigrants coming to the country over the next three years.

“We’re enthusiastic about the ambitious goals we have set in immigration because they aren’t just about numbers—they are strategic. With this strategy, we’re targeting newcomers that can help enshrine Canada as a world leader in a variety of emerging technologies,” Fraser said.

Last month, Canada announced new measures to make it easier for families of recent immigrants to relocate to the country just a few days after the UK said it was restricting foreign students from bringing their families into the country starting next year.

That same month, the country announced that its express entry was now implementing a category-based selection to help tackle labour shortages and boost the economy.

According to Interior Minister of Social Democrats (SPD), Nancy Faeser, the draft law secures prosperity in Germany.

“It would only work if the bureaucratic hurdles were dismantled during its implementation,” she said.

Like many countries in Europe, Germany is facing a shortage of skilled workers.

In 2022, the country’s labour shortage rose to an all-time high: the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) found 1.74 million vacant positions throughout Germany.

Together with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, she emphasised removing bureaucracy and improving the digitisation and efficiency of the system, according to Euro News.

“We know that we can only guarantee our future, the efficiency of our economy and the efficiency of our social security systems if we have enough skilled workers at our disposal,” said Scholz.

“From within the European Union, that’s not so difficult, because there is freedom of movement. With regard to the rest of the world, it is a greater challenge,” he added.

Here are key things to know about how the law opens job opportunities for Nigerians and other nationals.

READ ALSO: Canada extends work permit policy for spouses of Nigerians, other residents

1. According to Euro News, the reforms are to modernise the country’s immigration legislation expected to make it easier for third-country nationals to work in Germany. It could increase the number of non-EU workers in Germany by 60,000 per year.
2. The reforms to the Skilled Immigration Act particularly focus on workers with vocational, non-academic training. Existing rules for qualified professionals with university degrees will also be relaxed.
3. Germany is hoping to combat its shortage of skilled workers with a new ‘opportunity card’ called chancenkarte. The ‘chancenkarte’ will use a points system to enable workers with required skills to come to Germany more easily.
4. The points-based system will take into account qualifications, professional experience, age, German language skills and ties to Germany.
5. Every year, quotas will be set depending on which industries need workers. Three out of four of the following criteria must also be met to apply for the scheme: a degree or vocational training, three years’ professional experience, language skills or a previous stay in Germany and 35 years old or younger.
6. Currently, most non-EU citizens need to have a job offer before they can relocate to Germany. A visa for job seekers already exists, but the ‘chancenkarte’ is expected to make it easier and faster for people looking to find work in Germany.
7. Citizens of certain countries with visa agreements can already enter Germany for 90 days visa-free but are only permitted to take up short-term employment.
8. The opportunity card will allow people to come and look for a job or apprenticeship while in the country rather than applying from abroad. Applicants must be able to prove they can afford to pay their living expenses in the meantime.
9. The exact details of the scheme are yet to be formalised. The chancenkarte is not expected to be available until at least the end of 2023.
10. The new system will make it easier for people with professional experience – rather than a university degree – to come and work in Germany.
11. Germany will become more open to job experience and professional qualifications that are recognised in workers’ native countries. Currently, the country is strict about which qualifications it recognises.
12. It will also be easier for those without a job offer to seek work in Germany via the opportunity card.
13. Qualified job seekers with degrees or vocational certificates will be allowed to stay in the country for one year as they search for employment. While looking for full-time employment, they will be permitted to work up to 20 hours per week.
14. Rules will also be eased for those with a job offer and a recognised diploma. Salary thresholds will be lowered, it will be easier for workers to bring their families to Germany, and it will be easier to gain permanent residency.
15. Job opportunities are open in Germany for immigrants that are craftspeople, electrical engineers, IT specialists, careers, nurses, catering and hospitality professionals.