Microsoft targets Canada to bypass US immigration

[hauptman]

Microsoft targets Canada to bypass US immigration

Software development centre to open in Vancouver
Matt Chapman, vnunet.com 06 Jul 2007

Microsoft is opening a research centre in Vancouver to get around the strict immigration rules imposed in the US.

The software developer said that it is having problems recruiting foreign experts to its US operations because they are not being granted work permits.

"[The new location] will allow Microsoft to continue to recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by the immigration issues in the US," said a Microsoft statement.

The centre in Canada is part of Microsoft's expansion beyond its Redmond campus with offices in Boston and Washington.

Microsoft already has facilities in North Carolina and Silicon Valley, as well as abroad in Denmark, Israel, Ireland, the UK, India and China. The company said the Vancouver centre would provide revenue benefits for Canada.

"In collaboration with our Redmond head office, we determined that opening a regional development centre in Canada would create a tremendous opportunity for Canada," said Phil Sorgen, president of Microsoft Canada.

"This centre will help Microsoft remain globally competitive while providing strong economic benefits to British Columbia and Canada."

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2193652/microsoft-targets-canada-bypass

Maybe a wake up call not only for the US but for the EU too ... but is the situation really that worse in the US? Where are the qualified people from the US?

Other sources:
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=3a2cbdc5-95ad-45b5-9fb1-fe1fb3656f37&k=23394
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070706.RMICROSOFT06/TPStory/Business
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003776742_bizbriefs06.html

[Ordie]

Maybe a wake up call not only for the US but for the EU too ... but is the situation really that worse in the US? Where are the qualified people from the US?


At 4% unemployment with a disfuctional immigration policy and pending Baby Boomer retirement tidalwave, we're going to need more workers.

Consider anything less than 4% of the unemployed as "unemployable".

Vancouver is a good choice.

Close proximity to Redmond, WA
Government health care
Excellent education
Excellent quality of life
Direct international access to Asia and Europe
Easier access for immigrants from Commonwealth Nations (i.e India, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore)

[Durandal]

Simply ANOTHER example of event caused by horrible political leadership.

Man, I heard this last weekend that my Congressional Rep proposed to make a whole new set of IDs for Americans wanting to cross the Canadian border because passports were taking too long (3 to 4 month delay now).

WTF.

Or maybe the smart thing to do would be either to A) Repeal the law requiring passports for travel into Canada or B) Hire some extra ƒucking office workers to handle the load.

But no, I guess a another hoop to jump through for this specific thing would be MUCH better and quicker. :roll:

Politicians are wrecking our nation and no one cares because the rest of the world (with the exceptions of the ones we bomb...and maybe even those too) profit off our stupidity in voting for the status quo.

[nullterm]

I, for one, welcome our Microsoft Overlords to Vancouver.

[Ordie]

Simply ANOTHER example of event caused by horrible political leadership.

Man, I heard this last weekend that my Congressional Rep proposed to make a whole new set of IDs for Americans wanting to cross the Canadian border because passports were taking too long (3 to 4 month delay now).

Because of the new policy, Canadians living in the US are having problems in obtaining Canadian Passports. Many are giving up on local consulates and are flying to Winnepeg, Calgary and Edmonton (or anywhere where passport lines are short) to get their passports.

[Durandal]

Because of the new policy, Canadians living in the US are having problems in obtaining Canadian Passports. Many are giving up on local consulates and are flying to Winnepeg, Calgary and Edmonton (or anywhere where passport lines are short) to get their passports.

Yeah, its ridiculous. Fortunately, my wife and I got our new ones already in preparation for our flight to Vietnam. It'll be interesting to see how much a screw up it getting our adopted child back in country.

I dread that...

[C·OCTAVIVS·C·F]

I, for one, welcome our Microsoft Overlords to Vancouver.

Ahahahaha... I love you.

[Field_Gunner]

updated your list a little



Vancouver is a good choice.

Close proximity to Redmond, WA
Government health care (does not cover everything still spend lots on medical bills [thank god I have a good group health plan at work])
Excellent education (you havent seen our kids yet have you)
Excellent quality of life (sure if you have, money vancouver is one of the most expensive places to live in canada)
Direct international access to Asia and Europe (asia sure, europe on the otherhand is on the other side of the world)
Easier access for immigrants from Commonwealth Nations (i.e India, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore)

[ren0312]

Well, I think the net immigration to the US should be limited to about 360000 per year, with the H-1B visa applicants getting the first priority in the revised immigration quota system, for me, the question of mass immigration like the Canadian example is a question of short term economic gains, i.e. addressing labor market imbalances versus long term societal effects, such as the eroding of national culture, for example, is it really beneficial for Canadian society in the long term if Vancouver three or four decades from now becomes culturally indistiguishable from Shanghai, Karachi, or Bombay because of long term mass immigration from non Western countries? For the record, I think that net immigration(difference between inflows and outflows of migrants) into Canada should be restricted to about 40000(with top priority being given to skilled migrants) per year in reference to its relatively small population of about 33000000.

[seer]

At 4% unemployment with a disfuctional immigration policy and pending Baby Boomer retirement tidalwave, we're going to need more workers.

Consider anything less than 4% of the unemployed as "unemployable".

Vancouver is a good choice.

Close proximity to Redmond, WA
Government health care
Excellent education
Excellent quality of life
Direct international access to Asia and Europe
Easier access for immigrants from Commonwealth Nations (i.e India, UK, Australila, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore)
Just a few of additions:
Excellent high taxes.
Excellent low wages.
Excellent high prices.

You are right about the helthcare. I am moving back to Canada when I retire. ( Go see Sicko if you want to find out about the helthcare system in US)

[nullterm]

One thing to keep in mind, the Canadian dollar has made a huge jump over the last few years against the US dollar. In 2006 it was just over 60 cents, now it's just short of $1. There's both some positives and negatives to that. Hopefully prices will be corrected in response to this trend. But it does mean wages are climbing relative to American wages.

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/graphs/us.gif

As for taxes, to me the benefits of Canada outweigh the associated taxation. Having spent time in LA, I'm not about to move there for work (the main hub for my industry) and am very happy living in Vancouver.

[Field_Gunner]

for example, is it really beneficial for Canadian society in the long term if Vancouver three or four decades from now becomes culturally indistiguishable from Shanghai, Karachi, or Bombay because of long term mass immigration from non Western countries?.

its too late for that