If you’re on an H‑1B in the U.S. and feel stuck by quotas, lottery uncertainty, or long green card waits, Canada can offer a more predictable path to permanent residency. You can start the process from your apartment in the U.S., use your current tech experience to raise your score, and even layer in fast‑track work permits. The key is knowing which steps to take first-and which mistakes quietly damage your chances.
Why More H‑1B Tech Workers Are Choosing Canada
Why are so many H‑1B tech workers looking north to Canada? You’re seeing a system that treats you as a long‑term partner, not a temporary guest.
Through Express Entry, Canada offers a merit‑based path to permanent residency that doesn’t hinge on employer sponsorship or lottery luck, and skilled workers like you can often move from profile to PR in 6–12 months.
If you’re on an H‑1B in the U.S., you can apply to Express Entry without leaving your job or relocating first.
On top of that, Canada’s new accelerated PR pathway, launching in 2025, is tailored specifically to H‑1B holders in healthcare, research, advanced industries, and emerging tech, signaling a long‑term commitment to attracting and keeping global tech talent.
Check Express Entry Eligibility From the U.S
Before you plan a move, it’s smart to confirm you’re actually eligible for Canada’s main skilled‑worker system, Express Entry, while you’re still on your H‑1B in the U.S. You can complete everything online from the U.S., including profile submission, without ever entering Canada.
Start by checking basic program requirements (age, skilled work experience, language, and education with an ECA, if needed). If you’re eligible, you enter the Express Entry pool and receive a CRS score.
Your CRS ranking determines whether you’ll be selected in a draw and issued an ITA for permanent residence. If you get an ITA, you’ll have 60 days to file your full PR application. You can also later explore PNP options to strengthen your profile.
Calculate Your CRS Score With U.S. Tech Experience
So how does your time on H‑1B in the U.S. actually translate into CRS points for Canada? Under Express Entry, your CRS score is built from age, education, language results, and skilled work history. Your U.S. tech experience typically counts as foreign skilled work, boosting the work‑experience component and sometimes helping you command a higher salary or senior role, which can improve other factors.
If you fit the Federal Skilled Worker stream, you’ll first meet its minimum points grid, then compete in the CRS‑based pool. Strong English (and any French), several years of continuous full‑time U.S. tech experience, and a solid degree usually combine into a competitive CRS score, increasing your chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
Create Your Express Entry Profile While on H‑1B
Even while you’re still on H‑1B in the U.S., you can go ahead and create your Express Entry profile online and get into Canada’s immigration pool. You don’t need a Canadian job offer or to be in Canada to start.
When you set up your Express Entry profile, you’ll provide details on your age, degrees, tech work history, and language test scores. The system then calculates your CRS score and ranks you against other candidates. As a typical H‑1B software or IT professional, you’ll usually apply under the Federal Skilled Worker stream.
Strong recent IT experience plus CLB 7+ (or higher) can materially raise your CRS and make you competitive for draws, including category‑based rounds targeting U.S. H‑1B talent seeking Canada PR.
Use Global Talent Stream and Other Work Permits to Boost PR
While Express Entry is your long‑term path to permanent residence, getting a Canadian work permit first can sharply improve both your CRS profile and your job prospects. The Global Talent Stream is often the fastest route if you’re in an in‑demand tech role: your employer gets an LMIA with a 10‑day processing target, then you apply for a matching work permit.
Other temporary work permits can also support your PR pathway. Intra‑Company Transfer and certain trade or treaty categories may be LMIA‑exempt, giving you employer‑specific status quickly. If you qualify for an open work permit (for example, as a spouse or certain bridging cases), you’ll gain freedom to change employers, build Canadian work experience, and strengthen your future Express Entry score.
