Canada. Is it worth it ?

[hereme]

I am a software professional (Java/J2EE) with a masters degree and 3 years experience in software development currently working in Bangalore, India. I am contemplating working in Canada as it is too late to apply for US this year. I am gathering information about working in Canada and I would really appreciate if someone could share their experiences and help me figure out what my options are. Basically I have a few questions to start with -

1) Is the IT job market comparable to US job market ? I know the number of jobs gotta be lower but i believe candidates are fewer too. overall does it compare at all to US job market in terms of availability and pay ?
2) Do Software Consultancies operate in Canada ? For US there are lot of companies that would sponsor H1B and help me find a job once i get there. A lot of them even provide stay and food while im looking for a job. Are there companies like this in Canada ?
I know in some cases I will need an employer to send me an offer letter. In such cases consultancies might be better.
3) What is the fastest way to get there and be eligible to start working
4) One thing I read a lot is that there is hostility  among the local populcation towards immigrant workers, both skilled and nonskilled. Is that true
5) What is the visa process like ? US visa is very uncertain in that you dont know if you will get a visa or not until u attend an interview. What is the Canada visa process like ?

I really appreciate your time and hope that your answers will help me and many like me

[tinag]

1) Is the IT job market comparable to US job market ? I know the number of jobs gotta be lower but i believe candidates are fewer too. overall does it compare at all to US job market in terms of availability and pay ?

US IT market rocks. I'm a Canadian PR living in USA. Canadian IT market is very average compared to US.
For eg, I put my resume in Canadian job sites, and US companies keeps calling me. I did not get many calls after I posted my resume in canadian job sites. I got only 3 calls in 3 months. But I got  1 job. I did not join  as I'm not moving to Canada right now due to family reasons.

I guess if you are in IT, Canada market is atbest "OK". Salaries are not very good compared to USA.

If you are not in IT, majority of immigrants end up in low end jobs like pizza delivery etc as their credentials are not recognised by Canadian employers. It is the relaity. But Once you manage some canadian experience, you will do good

2) Do Software Consultancies operate in Canada ? For US there are lot of companies that would sponsor H1B and help me find a job once i get there. A lot of them even provide stay and food while im looking for a job. Are there companies like this in Canada ?
I know in some cases I will need an employer to send me an offer letter. In such cases consultancies might be better.

I dont know about that. But there might be some

3) What is the fastest way to get there and be eligible to start working

Find an employer who can sponser work permit.That would be fastest way.
If you apply for PR from India, it will take 6-7 years.

4) One thing I read a lot is that there is hostility  among the local populcation towards immigrant workers, both skilled and nonskilled. Is that true

I dont know

5) What is the visa process like ? US visa is very uncertain in that you dont know if you will get a visa or not until u attend an interview. What is the Canada visa process like ?

Visa process means? If you are talking about immigrantion, Canada has higiest per capita of immigration for whatever reason.Lot of new immigrants come here and lot of them leave Canada because of lack of oppurtunities for new immigrant workers. Those who stay get Canadian citizeship and go south of the border to USA.

My 2 cent. Canada is great place for lifestlye. If you are looking for highly paid job, Canada might not be the place. Ofcourse in IT, it is easier than others and some times people do end up in job scales similar to USA (I was offered $95K CDN)  but those occurances are reserved mostly for  people with North American Education / experience

[NC]

There is another thing you might want to consider. 

For year 2008, the US Immigration Services received 1,50,000 applications for 65,000 H1B visas within the first few hours of opening petitions. Since the number of applications received was already more than double the limit, the Immigration Service Office decided to use computers to randomly pick visa recipients from the applications received.

Now, do you really want to find a job in a country that decides your fate in a lottery.  By all means getting a H1B visa and then a US GC has become a far fetched dream..

I would recommend that you go for the Canadian option while you get it.. You never know when they will start to shut their doors..

NC

[ranjus]

People like you who have lots of apprehensions even before moving to Canada should not move at all since desires unfulfilled, results in depression. And you can remain in the polluted congested and beautiful IT city Bangalore.

[NC]

ha ha.. the last one was really funny.... I agree..