Immigration, business and economics work in weird ways. Point in case, Alberta (in Canada for the geographically challenged) is trying to woo H1B holders, while the US immigration policy makers are doing their best to cut down on the number of H1Bs. [Philly.com] [via]

Alberta is wooing H1B holders with cheesy shots of its picturesque downtown
img: via Philly.com

On one hand, Alberta seems to have a lot to offer in terms of quality of life, infrastructure and employment opportunities.

An oil boom. A robust economy. Universal health care – free next year.
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There’s more. Highly lauded schools. Low crime rates. Low unemployment. Low taxes. A surplus of jobs.
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…. anybody, would probably enjoy living in a province where the largest city, Calgary, population 1.1 million, had just 30 homicides in 2007. And the health care will be free, thanks to all the oil and gas royalties. Prices for new houses rose nearly 5 percent in 2007.
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There’s no provincial sales tax, the equivalent of state sales tax. The lowest provincial income-tax rate in Canada. (A flat tax of 10 percent for singles earning over $16,853 and $39,655 for a family of four.)

On the other, they’re finding it difficult to attract highly skilled workers.

But there’s the rub: Not enough workers to fill the positions, expected to top 110,000 over the next decade, according to estimates provided by Alberta. So, government representatives have been visiting cities worldwide – including a stop today at the Westin Philadelphia Hotel – to entice potential employees to think Alberta.

To attract highly skilled workers, mostly the equivalent of US H1B holders, Alberta seems to be laying out the red carpet including ads in papers, offers of permanent residency and even a website touting its wares.

My personal opinion? I’ll pass. Not only is the cold weather a factor in my decision (I live in the Sunshine State of the East Coast) but the overall reputation of Canada also. Rightly or not, the desi community is chock full of stories of Canada with this reputation of easy immigration laws to lure immigrants who find it difficult to find employment once they reach there. On the other hand, if I was struggling to find employment or my H1B was in danger, who knows?

Being that a large section of our readers hold H1B visas or at least know someone close to them who holds a H1B visa, what is your personal opinion? Hypothetically, would you move to Alberta, Canada, with its promises of more opportunities and better life quality? If yes, why, and if not, why?

This is also an opportunity for someone with more expertise on Canadian immigration to chime in and dispel or reinforce some of the myths surrounding it.

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