PM pitches Canadian globalism to U.S. firms
Fast-tracked worker permit addresses employer concerns over Trump immigration plan
SAN FRANCISCO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday pitched Canadian globalism and the country’s new fast-track visa as reasons why Silicon Valley companies should consider Canada as a place to do business and spend money.
Trudeau brought his charm offensive to the San Francisco Bay area amid increasing unease over U.S. immigration policy and while talks continue over the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The heated debate over immigration since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump has provided a clear opening for Canada to promote itself. As American employers worry about access to foreign workers, Canada is offering a two-week, fasttrack employment permit for certain workers, dubbed the “global skills strategy visa.”
Government-sponsored billboards in Silicon Valley pitch: “H1-B Problems? Pivot to Canada.” Recruiters from cities in Canada attend Canadian university alumni events in the valley, urging graduates to come home “to your next career move in the Great White North.” Trudeau demurred when asked whether Trump’s immigration efforts are making the sales pitch easier, pointing to the power of globalism.
“We know that bringing in great talent from around the world is an enormous benefit, not just to the companies that want to do that, but to Canadian jobs and to our country as a whole, so we’re going to continue to do that,” he said.
His stops Thursday were designed to showcase recruiting successes. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced the online business software company will invest another $2 billion in its Canadian operations.
And San Francisco-based AppDirect, an online management platform whose co-CEO first met Trudeau in political science class at McGill University in Montreal, said it would add another 300 jobs in Canada over the next five years.
Trudeau is also meeting with Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, as Bezos considers the location for its second headquarters. Toronto, which has created a government-sponsored innovation hub for tech companies, was the only one of several Canadian cities that applied to make the shortlist.