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Kind of a long-shot since so many people will want to do this, but MicroSoft just made the following announcement specifically to get around the H-1B visa fiasco in the U.S. :
Microsoft opens Canada center in response to US immigration problems
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007-07- ... couver.htm
You would have to have rather exceptional skills, but the center is largely being opened for foreign-born IT professionals that cannot get into the U.S.
Vancouver is a bit isolated and smallish, and the economy is a bit tight, so it's not been the easiest place to make a living. That may well change rapidly if Microsoft creates a "Canadian Redmond" environment.
Toronto has a booming tech economy, and its location also allows many firms to do direct business in the U.S.
If you get a solid job offer and get sponsorship, either by a specific company or by a province, Canadian immigration can be significantly shorter than 5 years. In some cases as fast as three to five months.
That is a big "
IF," though.
However, going to Australia isn't exactly easy without a job offer / company sponsorship, either.
So, your strategy may be better if you try to locate specific job offers that directly match your skills.
Try to emphasize positions that need skills in short supply, therefore increasing your chances of getting sponsorship.
Both countries have sponsorship programs from businesses doing the hiring and from the provincial / territorial governments, so there are multiple options of research available here.
You will need to do that based specifically upon your skills, education, experience, and desire for a particular region or city to relocate to.
As far as integration, Canada may have a slight edge over Australia today given that you are coming from India. The Canadian government has accepted very large numbers of immigrants from India and China in recent years and there are programs in place that might fit 'better.'
Australia generally has the edge today in ease of getting a visa and residency.
So. The shorter answer:
Both countries should suit you. There will be some trade-offs in either place, but in the end they are nearly equivalent as far as all your criteria go.
Try to get some job offers in place, then examine the localized economies to see how far your pay rate for each will go.
the Admin
