The Atlantic

Canada Wants Silicon Valley’s Tech Employees

Immigration fears in countries such as the U.S. and U.K. might create huge opportunities for economic growth elsewhere—and Toronto is taking note.
Source: MaRS

TORONTO, Ontario—Despite talk of a business-friendly administration, the U.S. tech sector may face some pretty serious employment challenges under President Donald Trump. First, there was the immigration ban that threatened to stop immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, then the uncertainty about H-1B visas for skilled workers, and finally questions over how the Trump’s administration’s “Buy American, Hire American” strategy would affect sectors that rely on outsourced or imported talent. For foreign countries looking to build their own urban tech scenes, the situation poses a welcomed opportunity: With some of the best tech talent in the world anxious about losing their work visas in the U.S., tech hubs around the world are making a push to get skilled labor to their shores instead.

One country that may be an obvious choice . Canada has not only been vocal about its pro-immigration stance, but has also been investing in a small, burgeoning compete for talent and billions of dollars in funding, and the “Toronto-Waterloo Corridor” have been quietly building an ecosystem of Canadian tech entrepreneurs. Now, they say the country is ready and willing to compete for global talent.

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