Canada is spending big to recruit top global minds. They may find it hard to stay in the country — if they can even get in

Well, if there wasn’t rigorous screening…. Presumably easier for Chinese, Indian and Iranian academics who have also spent time in the USA, EU and other similar countries:

…Recruiting international talent was a highlight of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 2025 budget, and the Immigration Department has a key role. A $1.7 million investment is meant to lure world-class researchers and top doctoral and post-doctoral fellows to Canada, and support universities in hiring internationally.

While institutions can go all-out to invite prospective talent, experts say success hinges on whether the recruits can make it to Canada in a timely way and secure permanent residence after their stay. The lack of a streamlined system and delays in security processing, they said, are hindering the effort.

“There’s not a co-ordination between the immigration side and the science” recruitment, said Christina Clark-Kazak, a professor in public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa.

“Many people were already starting to say, ‘How are these people ever going to get visas?’ So you’re investing all this time and they’re coming here for a few years. What are they going to do at the end of that? What’s the immigration pathway?”

Visas stalled by backlogged security screening

The Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative has different streams, providing funding to hire world-leading research chairs and teams, early-career researchers, top doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers, as well as investment in infrastructure and facilities they need.

The Star’s Janet Hurley recently reported that after Americans, Chinese, Iranian and Indian nationals were the top source countries of the 659 graduate students and post-docs from 72 countries selected in the first phase of the training awards program, focusing on early-career talent. Doctoral candidates will receive $40,000 annually for three years and post-docs $70,000 a year for two years.

Yet, China, Iran and India also top the list of immigration applicants who are referred to comprehensive security screening by the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Immigration officials said assessments are conducted by its partners and processing times vary, depending on the backlog and complexity of a case. It can take months, or years. …

Source: Canada is spending big to recruit top global minds. They may find it hard to stay in the country — if they can even get in