[jameshush]

As a Canadian, if you're going to the trouble to move, aim for the USA first. The salaries are just so much higher. Canada is a solid backup plan if you can't get into the USA after trying.

I left Canada shortly after graduating to move to California and got a 2x raise at a herpy derpy startup.

[jejeyyy77]

As a fellow Canadian, work for a US company remotely while living in Canada. Get the US salary w/o the crazy rent in SF/NY.

Even better, setup a business corp and work as a contractor - much easier for them to hire you. Also, get all the corporate tax benefits (tax rate, expense all gear, internet, home office etc).

[hnthrowaway0315]

Thanks. Which companies accept such contracting arrangement? What I see on LinkedIn is: they only hire individual contractors.

[jejeyyy77]

Most US companies hiring Canadians prefer contractors. You are an individual contractor, even if you have a corporation.

[hnthrowaway0315]

Interesting. Thanks.

[jakabia]

Thanks for the insight, but I have to ask: how does one get into the USA? It's far easier to enter Canada through the Express Entry program. On the other hand, to enter the USA, you'd need a work visa, a spouse, or be extremely lucky and win the green card lottery.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

If I'm right, my next question is: What would you recommend for securing a position with an American company while being overseas? I live in Denmark, Europe, and would need to find that job online, which adds to the challenge.

[jameshush]

It's not that much more of a challenge to find a job online before you move to that country. That's how I moved to the USA originally and then moved to Taiwan.

If you're a software engineer, apply for a FAANG or a Unicorn startup. Ideally, a FAANG company. Their HR department will handle this all for you. The big companies all have immigration lawyers on staff who do everything for you. The challenging part is grinding leetcode to pass the interview, that's it.

Going from Denmark to the USA by getting a job offer at Microsoft or Google takes work, but it's very straightforward. Just like how getting a six-pack takes work but is straightforward (need to go to the gym every day and eat broccoli). You grind leetcode, line up 8-10 interviews, fail 7, and pass 3.

Now, if you don't WANT to move to the USA and WANT to move to Canada because of family/life reasons, that's fine too! I ended up choosing to move to Taiwan, I'm sacrificing some career opportunities but I don't really care at this point in my life shrug.