While Apple opposes the Friday immigration order, and considers legal counterattack options, other Silicon Valley companies weigh their back-up plans. Tech Crunch mentions how companies consider moving their foreign-born employees to Canada.
Some of the co-founders join forces in view of the immigrants order being signed. The companies plan on protecting their workforce. They are prepared to create Canadian subsidiaries where the affected employees could move in just a few weeks, if necessary.
Some of the people who launched this idea have more than just a business angle on it. Tech Crunch mentions Scott Rafer, the co-founder of True North, and founder of Mashery, an API management vendor company. Mr. Rafer familiarized himself with the immigration-related issues due to one of his close friends. Thus, the immigrant situation went from a theoretical matter to representing a life story, one that a friend went through. While the political environment took a turn in this matter recently, Mr. Rafer also took an interest in what could be done to protect innocent people affected by the new developments.
Related public reactions to the immigration order
True North took Ernst & Young’s advice on the matter – apparently setting up a subsidiary in Canada could work. The potential line of action would not presume long waiting times. Tech giants such as Google or Microsoft should be able to speed up the necessary procedures even more, as they already have Canadian offices. The focus concern point resides with an eventual gap between their affected employees’ activities in the US and the moment they will be able to resume their operations in Canada.
Meanwhile, the Canadian tech community expressed its support. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already conveyed his public sympathy to all the affected parties, as well as Canada’s intent to remain “inclusive to all nations”. The Canadian Federal Government could intervene and institute an “immediate and targeted” visa in order to facilitate temporary residency – as requested by the Canadian tech community.
See more on this matter on Tech Crunch
