If you're upset with the election results, Canada is making it easy to move there if you work in tech
The results are in - the United States has a new president, Republican presidential nominee-cum-President-elect Donald J. Trump.
The stunning upset victory for Trump's campaign bucked months of polling data that showed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the lead. For millions of Clinton supporters, it's a rough day.
For some, the election result is dire enough that they're looking into moving to Canada - Business Insider's most-read post right now is, by far, instructions for how to do just that:
And while that option may sound extreme to some folks, it may be especially appealing to those in the tech industry - not only has Silicon Valley largely resisted Trump, but California went overwhelmingly in Hillary Clinton's favor (61% to 33%). Here's one such example - a former Apple employee looking to get out of the US before Trump becomes president:
Good news, potential new Canadians from the US tech industry: Canada wants you!
In early November, the Canadian government instituted several measures aimed at enabling Canada's growing tech sector to attract and retain skilled foreign workers. The initiative makes visas easier to obtain for potential transplants, alters how visas work for temporary staff, and walks back the directive that Canadian companies must first exhaust Canadian talent before attempting to attract talent from outside the country.
Here's how Canada's Globe & Mail puts it:
"The strategy, unveiled Tuesday [November 1] by Finance Minister Bill Morneau, includes measures that will make it easier for fast-growing Canadian tech firms and multinational corporations operating here to quickly bring in skilled foreign workers for jobs they are struggling to fill in Canada."
The move by the Canadian government isn't intended as a response to Trump's win, but as a response to years of Canadian talent leaving for greener pastures - like, say, the San Francisco Bay Area. "We've had many years of net migration of our brightest minds to our southern neighbor. I'd say it's time to repay the compliment," investigator and director of research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital Jim Woodgett told Vice.
Canada's home to tech companies like Hootsuite and Shopify; the Canadian government is hoping to continue growing its $1 billion/year tech sector into something even bigger. Could you be part of that growth? You could! Are you trying to leave the US after the election results, or just in general? You might be!
Might I suggest this guide? It's quite popular.