Canada has launched a program to speed up visa procedures for skilled workers seeking to capitalize on the complexity of immigration procedures in the United States. The move comes at a critical time for Canadian technology companies seeking to attract the world's most skilled workers, who usually flock to the Silicon Valley in the United States
"In a world where people are becoming more and more closed, where populism is growing and there is a lot of xenophobic, xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment, Canada is taking a unique position," Canadian Innovation Minister Nadeep Pines said at the launch ceremony
Bainz and other government officials were careful not to address US President Donald Trump by name and instead focus on promoting the merits of their new scheme, which aims to help local companies achieve at least 10 percent growth
The Canadian plan, unveiled for the first time in November as part of a broader strategy to stimulate economic growth, aims to shorten the period of work and visa authorization to two weeks from the current bureaucratic process, which can take six months to a year
Investment will not come to Canada if skills are not there, "said Canadian Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussein," and the government has not set a ceiling for eligible foreigners to join the program in its first two years
