Overview
- Ottawa formally unveiled a national program worth C$1.7 billion to recruit leading global researchers, framing it as one of the largest efforts of its kind.
- Officials say the goal is to attract more than 1,000 international and expatriate scholars, including French speakers, with a focus on bringing Canadian researchers home.
- Immigration measures include a fast-track pathway for current and former US H-1B holders, 14-day visa processing for PhD applicants and families, and a 2026 exemption of master’s and doctoral students from the study-permit cap.
- Universities are scaling up hiring to leverage the funding, with the University of Toronto creating 100 new postdoctoral positions and other institutions signaling expanded recruitment.
- Early moves include MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager joining the University of Toronto, yet reporting indicates only a handful of prominent US-based professors have relocated as retention concerns persist.