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Hey there, I hope you all are having a nice weekend. So I have admits from Waterloo in Canada and in the USA from UMass Amherst, UCSD, and UWisc Madison. I was wondering about the tech scene in Canada, especially in AI. I understand it is nowhere close to Cali's scene but even then is it comparable to a certain degree. Like how is the work in Google Kitchener office, Amazon Vancouver, etc. and how about the startup scene. The reason I am focussing on moving to Canada is because of the easier visa process and a lot of my family lives in Canada. So this is my first time posting here do let me know if this is the wrong place to ask this.
Will you need h1b? Getting the work visa is a big pain
Yeah, I am from India. With the 3-year OPT period and reserved no. of h1bs for master students I guess I can get h1b. The real struggle would be the green card and uncertainty around it.
Assume you won’t get green card. Just base all your decisions on this assumption. Consider career growth strongly though
I would say you should go for one of the USA universities for your masters. Much better opportunities, much better job profiles, much better curriculum in general (but Waterloo is good too for academics, not sure about CS). 100% much better return on investment and smarter people. But I would like to point out that visa scene is much easier in Canada than in USA. You will get the permanent residency (equivalent of a green card in USA ) much more easily and a lot quicker in Canada. In USA, H1b is indeed becoming a hassle. But assuming that you can work hard, and somewhat smart too in terms of visa, you will have a much better career related experience and opportunities in USA. And you can anyways go to Canada anytime you want afterwards. Another thing I want you note is that most of the AI scene in Canada is bogus (just use some APIs and claim to do AI). Most of the AI scene in USA is bogus too, but USA still has a lot of serious AI related opportunities. Also there are very few companies like google and amazon in Canada. Their salaries aren’t at par compared to cost of living . The number of opportunities in companies like google and amazon is also way less in Canada as compared to USA . And as I have mentioned before , if u get into any of these companies in USA, going to Canada through internal is not a big deal if you want (of course there has to be a match with the opportunities there, but u can figure out in an year or two if you were really interested). Going from Canada to USA has similar visa issues as going from India to USA (maybe slightly better than India but a hassle nonetheless)
Another thing I wanted to add — if you are ok with average salaries, and average job opportunities (and it just depends on what people want in life, there is nothing wrong with optimizing for other stuff in life you care more about, than career) — then life is pretty chill in Canada. No constant fear of leaving the country when u get laid off . In USA , on H1b, you have 60 days to find out new opportunity, otherwise u have to leave (although companies typically try to give you more time before they move you out of their payroll). No fear of having to leave the country, helps you with figuring out your family related needs with slightly less anxiety. Also, if you were that kind of a guy, starting your own company is easier is Canada too. But again you could spend a few years in USA , and then go to Canada . No one is stopping you from doing that.
That's a great response from swdevl! However, being from India myself, I would say going to Waterloo and getting Canada PR and citizenship in 3-5 years will free you to pursue your career in either USA or Canada without constant anxiety around Visa. I moved to Canada instead of USA on L1 visa as I didn't want the visa related uncertainty. This year I plan to apply for Canadian citizenship (I moved to Canada in 2017) and then look at the best available opportunity in USA or Canada