Established in 1979

14. Why should we go through the hassle of hiring a Canadian for the job?
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. . .conventional methods just don't cut it in this tight labor market. "There's a war for talent going on in the economy. . ." ---James M. Citrin, communications recruiter, in Business Week

ANSWER: You shouldn't---unless the Canadian is the best person for a key job.

If the Canadian is the best candidate, you should. The short-term hassles far outweigh the benefits of having the right person for the job.

As you know, hiring the right person improves profitability. More employment for U.S. workers results.

Our firm handles immigration work for managers 1) smart enough to recognize value (the best person for the job) and 2) with enough judgement not to be frightened by immigration.

"Hassle" usually means uncertainty. By outsourcing to experts, hassles can be minimized. Immigration counsel can quantify the amount of paperwork, cost, timing and chance of success. With this information, you can intelligently weigh the costs against the benefits.

You can expedite and enhance recruitment in these ways:

How to Expedite and Enhance Recruitment:

• Take advantage of labor surpluses in Canada. People in short supply in the U.S., may be plentiful in Canada. For example, many specialized computer professionals are looking for work in hard-to-fill U.S. positions.
• Use existing Canadian employees if you have Canadian operations:
  • Up and running: Presently employed executives, managers, and technicians have the immediate expertise to effectively tap the U.S. market.
  • Double duty: The employee can split time between the U.S. and Canada. Many clients use one person for the same position in each country. Examples include "North American VP for HR" and "Sales Manager, Western North America".
  • Special work permits: Congress provides a visa just for these employees: the L-1 intracompany transferee visa and it's green card counterpart. Your employees can get the L-1 right at the border.
• Fill the position with the most qualified applicant, faster. It's easy to add Canadian provinces to your recruitment universe. This increases your chance of quick success. The Globe and Mail and Canada Employment Weekly are effective additions to your help wanted media. You can run resumes you receive through the visa selector. You can also ask us for a customized recruitment template: characteristics you should look for in the applicants for quick border work permits.
• Canadian applicants may live closer to you, than other applicants. Relocation may be quite easy. An astounding percentage of the Canadian population lives near U.S. population centers. For example, an LA job applicant would have to travel seven times further for a NY City job interview, than would an applicant from Toronto. If your company is near LA, relocating from Vancouver requires half the travel distance than relocating from New York.
• Relocation of household goods and automobiles is simple, and duty free. The major U.S. moving companies operate in Canada. One such firm provides us with details at this Web site.
• Canadians are already accustomed to business travel to the U.S. Rare is the Ontario professional who doesn't take multiple U.S. trips each year. This is because Canadians do not need visas for business travel. They can enter on border B-1 permits.
• Work permits are easier for Canadians. This entire Web site covers this premise. For example, Candians can get the L-1 and TN work permits right at the border---without long waits for approval of mailed applications.

Special Canadian Contributions:

• Develop the Canadian market for your product. Canada is one of the best customers for U.S. products. The employee's knowledge of Canadian professions and markets can be valuable to you.
• Rationalize geographic sales areas. Use immigration permits to shrink geographic areas. By ignoring the border, one person can cover a smaller U.S./Canada contiguous area.
• Enjoy a common culture and language. Similar business cultures mean immediate adaptation to your business environment. Relocation is easier on the employee and family. In addition to English there's a bonus: many Canadians are billingual. (English and French.) Even if you do not need French language capability, a person with two languages can learn a third easily. This can be an asset for international activities.

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