CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Microsoft to Take Advantage of Canadian Immigration Policy

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Microsoft plans to open up shop in Canada, due to heavy restrictions on H1B skilled visas in the United States, and the relative ease of bringing skilled migrants to Canada.

Microsoft's planned opening of a software development centre in British Columbia is largely seen as a success story for Canada's skilled immigration system. Microsoft and other IT companies in the United States have been quietly campaigning for an increase in the H1B skilled visa program, with little success to date. H1B visas remain very limited, and companies like Microsoft need to be able to hire skilled workers from abroad.

By comparison, Canada has a very liberal skilled immigration policy, welcoming qualified skilled workers from all over the world on permanent Skilled Worker Visas and Temporary Work Permits, often through the IT pilot project.

Microsoft will likely be looking for software development team members with job descriptions like, MIS Software Designer, Software Products Developer, Telecommunications Software Designer and Embedded Systems Software Designer.

This puts Microsoft at a tremendous advantage with Canadian immigration rules, especially compared to the H1B visa system in the United States. Applicants for work permits in the fields above may have their applications processed more quickly, and will likely not need approval from Service Canada for a listed job.