India, Canada to sign pact on workers on short-term visit

India and Canada will soon sign a bilateral social security agreement that exempts expatriates on short-term work visits to either country from contributing to social security schemes.

"Under the proposed agreement, an expatriate in either country need not contribute to social security schemes of the host country," A Didar Singh, secretary in the ministry for overseas Indian affairs, said in Toronto.

Singh, was addressing the community at a function organised by the Indian Consulate and the Panorama India.

The Indian official is in Canadian to canvas investments and seek Indo-Canadian participation in the 9th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi from January 7-9 next year.

"The agreement, which once signed, would benefit thousands of Indians who are working in Canada and paying social security but are unable to get any benefit out of it," he said.

On India's migration policy, he said, "the country's 5,000-year history of migration has led us to a deep appreciation of the importance of migration to India's development as a modern economy and to its relations with countries around the globe."