ICTC tool helps immigrants find IT jobs in Canada

In 2008, Kovasys found 0.6 per cent of screened applicants from the U.S. applying to work in Canada. The percentage increased to 1.6 per cent in 2009, reflecting an increase of 260 per cent in one year, reports the firm.

"The number could also be higher," Kovalenko noted. Some applicants indicate Toronto and/or Montreal as their main residence even if they are still residing and working in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, he said.

Motivating factors for moving north, according to Kovasys, include Canada's high standard of living, free health care, less stringent visa restrictions and even exchange rate with the U.S. dollar.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa granting specialists temporary work in the U.S. under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

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