O Canada ...

Just when the Undergrad had almost given up hope and moved on with Plan B ... yesterday this popped up.

from the above link:

So, what does this have to do with the US H1B visa cap? Not only will this be a full development center, but it will also be a great alternative location for some of the new hires into Microsoft who have not been able to get their H1B visas this year due to the limited quota. Since Vancouver is just a short train/car ride away, it will be easy to stay in touch.

The undergrad and his friends are excited by this prospect but still await official communication. The undergrad spent a rollicking 4 years in Canada and would be happy to go back ... Still many questions remain:

There are reports that the center will start with about 200 people and later ramp up to about 800. undergrad and friends estimate there are about 1000+ people who are h1b-less at Microsoft... Who makes the call on who goes to Vancouver? What happens to those who don't end up there?

Will it be feasible for people hired into positions requiring constant interaction such as PM to work remotely?

Hopefully these questions will be answered in the coming weeks.. still this is the best piece of news to come out of Microsoft in months - Kudos to them for taking this step...