With it getting harder for U.S. companies to recruit foreign nationals for jobs in the programming and engineering, could they all start a shift towards opening facilities in Canada?

Microsoft has announced that they will be opening a software development center in Vancouver. This will be set up due to the fact that it's getting extremely difficult to employ skilled workers with the present immigration quotas in place. U.S. businesses have been urging Congress to lift quotas on the number of visas issued by the government, making room for more skilled professionals especially in the software engineering field. And there is a big battle brewing over that between business owners, middle class Americans, and the Government. Bill Gates has been striking at engineering careers, saying that more American students could be convinced to enter the field if engineers from other countries are imported. However others see it as a threat to their country, and wage protections for U.S. workers. Is Microsoft really having trouble finding employees, or are they just having problems finding employees at the wage they are interested in paying?

Why the move to Canada? Canada does not employ such strict quotas on the number of visas it issues every year, with an emphasis on skilled laborers that are focused on starting a life in the country.

Microsoft is planning to open its Vancouver facility by the end of the year, with 200 employees, expanding to 900 within a few years.

[via eWeek]