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Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

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Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#22
As someone in the Sisyphean green card system (processing taking forever for the initial application, 6-7 years to go after that for the actual green card, best case); I am really glad that Canada is offering better alternatives. I bet if they emphasize this angle (quicker permanent residency for non-contract employees), they will get a decent amount of talent that otherwise is stuck grinding away in Silicon Valley for the same employer.

To anyone of Indian nationality seeking a job in North America, and interested in permanent residency – strongly consider the Canada alternative, for education as well as jobs. Unless the weather means a lot to you, ask your company if they have a Canada office where you can work when you start out. Things will be way easier.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#23
With the recent cancellation of Canadian real-estate immigration visa, hopefully the Vancouver housing market will stabilize, http://www.theprovince.com/business/Will+cancellation+Immigr...

China has been allowing domestic yuan conversion to western mortgages, boosting real estate demand in Vancouver, NY, SF & elsewhere, http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Secret+path+revealed+Ch...

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, I've lived 10 years London and now 10 years Vancouver and it's comparable. It's probably even nicer in Vancouver, as we have a ground pool and air conditioning here, while in London those were more of a rarity. Vancouver does get a very grey and miserable November, but the Spring/Summers are usually very good. It's a cliche, but I've often done the 'ski in the morning up the mountain, swim in the sea in the afte…

It sure sounds good. Is it actually good?

Sure, we love it and we're lucky to have lots of choice on where to live in the world (UK/US/Canada docs now). Just vacation somewhere with less rain or more sunlight in November if it gets to you.

Flights aren't that cheap here, but we usually just drive down to Seattle (2h) and fly to Vegas/Maui/SoCal for a good deal from there.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#25
post #10
post #2

> "I will not go to Canada," said the 25-year-old from Argentina of his initial reaction. "Twenty degrees below zero, are you crazy?" Perhaps the warmest major Canadian city, with a mild winter due to being coastal ('twenty degree below zero' - probably not).

They didn't tell us that Vancouver was "the warmest major Canadian city" when they were telling us that we were being relocated here. All we knew was http://i.imgur.com/X2l9uxU.jpg

Reminds me of Albany NY in the Dilbert TV show

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GEIXVszdb4Y/UUqKPJes1qI/AAAAAAAAP...

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#26
post #18
post #2

> "I will not go to Canada," said the 25-year-old from Argentina of his initial reaction. "Twenty degrees below zero, are you crazy?" Perhaps the warmest major Canadian city, with a mild winter due to being coastal ('twenty degree below zero' - probably not).

Certainly Vancouver's winters are milder than anywhere east of the Rockies, but the flipside is that you have to put up with rain, rain and more rain. After living in Vancouver for five years I moved to southern California where the weather was fantastic. I'm now in Melbourne, Australia, which is considered by Aussies to have cold winters but as a Canadian I just laugh whenever I hear that. Apart from the weather I'd…

+1 on the housing, it's a major factor. We came over in 2001, so basically got lucky, but today it's a real issue. More and more people are being pushed out to the suburbs in the Valley, and then having a pretty bad commute into downtown. Mountains and sunshine are nice, but that's a real impact on quality of life for a lot of people.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#27
The main reason that companies like Sony Imageworks are in Vancouver is that the BC government pays hundreds of millions of dollars a year in subsidies to VFX studios if they relocate to BC. The subsidy trade war has been covered for years by blogs such as VFX Soldier (http://vfxsoldier.wordpress.com/).

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#28

With the recent cancellation of Canadian real-estate immigration visa, hopefully the Vancouver housing market will stabilize, http://www.theprovince.com/business/Will+cancellation+Immigr... China has been allowing domestic yuan conversion to western mortgages, boosting real estate demand in Vancouver, NY, SF & elsewhere, http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Secret+path+revealed+Ch...

> allowing domestic yuan conversion to western mortgages

And now it all makes sense.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#30

As someone in the Sisyphean green card system (processing taking forever for the initial application, 6-7 years to go after that for the actual green card, best case); I am really glad that Canada is offering better alternatives. I bet if they emphasize this angle (quicker permanent residency for non-contract employees), they will get a decent amount of talent that otherwise is stuck grinding away in Silicon Valley f…

How about pay? Job offers were literally almost half compared to Seattle 2hrs away in Vancouver, and life is cheaper in Seattle.
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