Talent-Hungry Microsoft To Open Development Center In Canada
July 05, 2007 5:15 PM ET
A week after an immigration reform bill stalled in the Senate that would have boosted the U.S. government limit on H1-B visas, Microsoft on Thursday announced plans to open a new software development center in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Set to open this fall, Microsoft's Canada Development Center will take advantage of Vancouver's diverse population and proximity to the software giant's Redmond, Wash. headquarters, Microsoft said.
The facility will allow Microsoft "to recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by immigration issues in the U.S.," according to a Microsoft statement.
Like many IT vendors, Microsoft has long been a vocal critic of U.S. immigration policy and the H1-B visa cap, which currently stands at 65,000. Chairman Bill Gates earlier this year told a Senate panel that government immigration policies are preventing U.S. companies from hiring top global talent.
Last week, after the demise of the immigration bill in the Senate, Microsoft expressed its disappointment and predicted far reaching repercussions in a statement sent to the media.
"This shortfall will limit American competitiveness and technological innovation, hampering not only the technology industry, but our country's leadership in these critical areas," Microsoft said in a statement.
Microsoft has additional software development centers in North Carolina, Ireland, Denmark, and Israel. The vendor also has R&D centers in the U.K., India, China, and Silicon Valley, and recently announced plans to build facilities in Boston and Bellevue, Wash.
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