7 ms·

I'm also interested to find out what employers in the US think. Would you still consider resume's that come from Canadians? I seem to remember it being easier t

by xil3 8y ago

I'm also interested to find out what employers in the US think. Would you still consider resume's that come from Canadians? I seem to remember it being easier to get responses (before Trump). Has the climate changed? This is geared more towards the technical space.

pm90 8y ago
I don't think it matters much for mid-size to larger corporations. What I fear this hurts the most is startups or small firms that operate on tight timelines and under severe cash crunch and don't have the resources or time to jump through the hoops of the arcane visa sponsorship process. That being said: if a company wants you badly enough, they will make it happen ;-).
- keithwhor 8y ago
  Again, IANAL but: from experience, the TN Visa process is relatively painless (happens right at the Port of Entry, takes an hour at most) and most times can be done without a lawyer. If a lawyer is needed (suggested for first-timers), you can use services like UpCounsel [1] that are relatively inexpensive and not a huge time-sink for companies (resource constrained or not). [1] https://upcounsel.com/ https://upcounsel.com/
keithwhor 8y ago
Yes, Canadian resumes are some of the best resumes employers can get. Tip for other founders: if you're not hiring Canadians, you're missing out on a massive economic opportunity. Canadians are typically underpaid for technical roles in Toronto / Vancouver by a factor of 50%, at least. Canadians who haven't yet worked or done co-op terms in the US often think it's much more difficult to get a job in the Bay Area than it actually is. Tip for employees: the single best thing you can do for your career in technology is work in the Bay Area, even if only for a short time. I'm not sure how much the climate has changed, and I'm not a lawyer, but I can tell you that generally: if you have a degree, a portfolio and work experience, things have a high probability of working out well if you apply to US jobs.
- appleiigs 8y ago
  Amazon seems to agree. Announced opening an office in Vancouver. To have an estimated 3000 employees.
  - s2g 8y ago
    They have had an office for years (at least 5-6, that's where I applied initially). That and MS have a rep as being a place to stash people for a year so they can get L-1 instead of H-1B.
- mattnewport 8y ago
  I think there's a decent number of us who don't see a 50% pay increase as enough compensation for living in the Bay Area over Vancouver.
  - s2g 8y ago
    It's more than 50%. I'd guess more than 100% before exchange rate. Then you do the smart thing and come to Seattle instead. edit: ah yeah the difference is clarified below.
  - nexus2045 8y ago
    Currently making 50k USD before taxes in Vancouver... I'm pretty sure it'd be a big increase if I went down.
  - keithwhor 8y ago
    By 50% underpaid I mean a 100% pay increase (doubled) for moving to SF.
    - ikeyany 8y ago
      Making $80,000 in a nice big city is easily a better life choice than moving to SF for a $160,000 job.
      - 8y ago

by xil3 8y ago

pm90 8y ago

I don't think it matters much for mid-size to larger corporations. What I fear this hurts the most is startups or small firms that operate on tight timelines and under severe cash crunch and don't have the resources or time to jump through the hoops of the arcane visa sponsorship process. That being said: if a company wants you badly enough, they will make it happen ;-).

keithwhor 8y ago
Again, IANAL but: from experience, the TN Visa process is relatively painless (happens right at the Port of Entry, takes an hour at most) and most times can be done without a lawyer. If a lawyer is needed (suggested for first-timers), you can use services like UpCounsel [1] that are relatively inexpensive and not a huge time-sink for companies (resource constrained or not). [1] https://upcounsel.com/ https://upcounsel.com/

keithwhor 8y ago

Yes, Canadian resumes are some of the best resumes employers can get. Tip for other founders: if you're not hiring Canadians, you're missing out on a massive economic opportunity. Canadians are typically underpaid for technical roles in Toronto / Vancouver by a factor of 50%, at least. Canadians who haven't yet worked or done co-op terms in the US often think it's much more difficult to get a job in the Bay Area than it actually is. Tip for employees: the single best thing you can do for your career in technology is work in the Bay Area, even if only for a short time. I'm not sure how much the climate has changed, and I'm not a lawyer, but I can tell you that generally: if you have a degree, a portfolio and work experience, things have a high probability of working out well if you apply to US jobs.

appleiigs 8y ago
Amazon seems to agree. Announced opening an office in Vancouver. To have an estimated 3000 employees.
- s2g 8y ago
  They have had an office for years (at least 5-6, that's where I applied initially). That and MS have a rep as being a place to stash people for a year so they can get L-1 instead of H-1B.
mattnewport 8y ago
I think there's a decent number of us who don't see a 50% pay increase as enough compensation for living in the Bay Area over Vancouver.
- s2g 8y ago
  It's more than 50%. I'd guess more than 100% before exchange rate. Then you do the smart thing and come to Seattle instead. edit: ah yeah the difference is clarified below.
- nexus2045 8y ago
  Currently making 50k USD before taxes in Vancouver... I'm pretty sure it'd be a big increase if I went down.
- keithwhor 8y ago
  By 50% underpaid I mean a 100% pay increase (doubled) for moving to SF.
  - ikeyany 8y ago
    Making $80,000 in a nice big city is easily a better life choice than moving to SF for a $160,000 job.
    - 8y ago