Go north, young immigrant

We've talked a lot at Opinion L.A. about the shortage of H1-B visas for skilled immigrants in this country. Last month, the editorial board wondered why immigrant fashion models were getting special treatment (a move that had Janice Dickinson sounding like Tom Tancredo):

Standing tall in the courage of their convictions, lawmakers are proposing to give supermodels their own category of work visa. This is especially bold because while easing the way for several hundred models to work during New York's Fashion Week, they must resolutely ignore the pleas of high-tech businesses seeking more visas for well-educated workers.

Congress may not have paid any mind, but Alberta, Canada is listening.

The province has put up a snazzy website to encourage H1-B visa holders to move north, complete with a helpful map highlighting where exactly Alberta is. It's promising certain immigrants streamlined permanent residency in Canada, linking to sites that help immigrants relocate their families to Alberta, and promoting the program across the U.S. and in England, South Korea, and the Philippines. Notably, the Alberta reps don't seem to be scheduled for any West coast spots, not even in H1-B-heavy Northern California.

Still, it seems an aggressive move when many countries are cracking down on immigration and facing economic downturns. But Alberta, as the Philadelphia Daily News reports, seems immune:

What's unfolding in the western Canadian province of 3.5 million people is so far removed from Philadelphia's (and most of the country's) reality that, frankly, it's almost bizarro.

There's more. Highly lauded schools. Low crime rates. Low unemployment. Low taxes. A surplus of jobs.

But there's the rub: Not enough workers to fill the positions, expected to top 110,000 over the next decade, according to estimates provided by Alberta....

Critics worry that the program will siphon good workers away from this country; others think the U.S. will still be able to keep the top recruits it needs.

Canada previously scored some U.S. skilled workers when Microsoft moved an office to Vancouver about a year ago.

Thanks to the Immigration Prof Blog for the tip.