Harsh US immigration rules force Microsoft to open shop in Canada

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

US software behemoth Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it would soon open an office in Canada, lamenting tough immigration rules in the United States that make it difficult to hire foreign staff.

"It is about recruiting the best and brightest, and right now, the majority are coming from overseas," Marc Seaman, a spokesman for the world's biggest software company, told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

"The United States has immigration quotas and some limitations for bringing in people from outside the country," he said. "That challenge is an opportunity for Canada, in the sense that this will bring the top software developers to Canada."

The development office, to be opened in Vancouver, a three-hour drive north from Microsoft's Redmond, Washington headquarters, will initially be staffed by some 300 recruits from around the world, the company said.

Eventually, it could grow to house as many as 1,000 employees.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=07...;show_article=1

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

"It is about recruiting the best and brightest at the lowest possible salaries, and right now, the majority are coming from overseas," Marc Seaman, a spokesman for the world's biggest software company, told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

There you go. Can't figure out how he missed that tiny detail...

[Lance27 19]

I just saw this on the news this evening.

[mawilson 2,133]

"The United States has immigration quotas and some limitations for bringing in people from outside the country," he said. "That challenge is an opportunity for Canada, in the sense that this will bring the top software developers to Canada."

Good news - once they are in Canada, Microsoft can bring them over to the US as intracompany transferees.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Yeah, thank god for the L1.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Especially when the L-1 is POE/PFI-issuable (for transfer from Canada only).

Of course, Canada is not going to just give work permits for "home-country-level" salaries

Edited July 6, 2007 by CherryXS

[jundp 191]

"It is about recruiting the best and brightest at the lowest possible salaries, and right now, the majority are coming from overseas," Marc Seaman, a spokesman for the world's biggest software company, told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

There you go. Can't figure out how he missed that tiny detail...

I don't know, the people I know who work in Redmond for MS are hardly paid the lowest possible salaries. Even the foreign guys :-)