Narayan AmmachchiAs uncertainty over immigration mounts in the United States, an increasing amount of US technology workers are hunting for jobs in Canada, particularly in Toronto and Ottawa.
Some of the roles most popular with US tech-job seekers are software engineer, database administrator, and machine learning engineer, reported Hiringlab, citing data released by the US job board Indeed.com.
President Donald Trump’s immigration ban on some Muslim countries and a proposed reform to the H-1B visa program are causing discomfort among foreign workers in US tech hubs.
Canada, however, is relaxing immigration laws and trying to absorb as many foreign tech workers as it can. Even so, there is no official count of how many foreign IT workers have arrived in Canada after Donald Trump was inaugurated.
What is clear, however, is that US tech firms, including Google and Microsoft, are expanding operations in Canada, with venture capital investment in the country reaching CAD$2.9 billion (US$ 2.3 billion) last year. In 2010, it was just CAD$900 million (US$716 million).
There is a coordinated effort at work to lure foreign professionals. Earlier this year, Canada’s tech community, comprised of about 150 technology firms, urged the federal government to give foreign workers access to all sorts of employee benefits, as well as an opportunity to apply for permanent residency.
To fully capitalize on the circumstance, Canada is preparing to launch a startup visa program, designed to provide residency for young technology entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the United States is thinking about scrapping a similar program it launched some years ago.
Add comment