My, my ... what have we here?
Harsh US immigration rules force Microsoft to open shop in Canada
OTTAWA (AFP) - 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."
Sure, Bill ... after the U.S. gouged us out of half a billion dollars in softwood lumber duties, it's the least we can do to help you skirt your country's immigration restrictions.
And, hey, they'll even be eligible for socialized medicine. No, no, really, no need to thank us, it's the least we can do. Always happy to help. After all, we're Canadian.
3 comments:
[Scratches head]
CC, what's your complaint? That Microsoft wants to do more business in Canada? That Canada has more liberal immigration laws than the US? That the US immigration law is too restrictive? That immigrants who work for Microsoft in Canada (and thus pay CN taxes) will be eligible for medicare? That by expanding Microsoft's business in Canada Microsoft somehow helps the United States?
I really don't see anything here for a Canadian to complain about.
Are you feeling all right or are you just confused and generally angry?
Bill has said this before. He uses the threat of moving to Vancouver or Victoria as a bludgeon to try to change US regulations. Last time he threatened to move north because of the monopoly lawsuits. Obviously they didn't.
On the other hand, he really might open an office here, even if the moving of the corporation thing was only a airy threat. Look at how many Canadian locations IBM has. I can think of a dozen off the top of my head (some software labs, some consulting services).
We interrupt this comment thread to bring you a suggestion for the new motto of the Canadian Cynic blog:
I was also touched to hear that her whole entire perspective on life has completely and forever changed in a totally serious kind of way that she really means! I don’t know about you but I find that the thoughtful words of contrition and the newfound maturity typically displayed by the recently incarcerated signal a profound desire to lead a more responsible life that will endure for decades to come. (The previous sentence is brought to you by sarcasm – Sarcasm: for those times when cynicism’s not quite enough, but hitting the person with a plank of some kind just isn’t possible!)"
-From Scott Feschuk's blog at Macleans
http://forums.macleans.ca/advansis/?mod=for&act=dis&eid=13&so=&ps=&sb=
We now return to your regularly scheduled snark
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