It remains to be seen whether relocating someone will still be a thing as much as it is now. I mean, we have remote tools and most big companies have branches everywhere in the world.
Why bother with visas, lawyers and tragic cases like this. Sure for people who want to become a citizen somewhere in the West its great. For the companies I'm not that sure its better than the alternatives.
Relocation to US / Canada is usually primary reason why people look for offers like that. No amount of remote tools an offices abroad will ever replace option to move countries.
I am immigrant myself who want to get to EU / US at some point so I can understand reasons of other people really well.
I'm not from India so no idea how many good engineers are there. I am immigrant myself though and I have a lot of friends who changed countries so have some insight there.
People who decide to move countries usually not just do it for reasons like career or more money. Most often it's because they dislike something in their home country or want better opportunities for their children.
So no amount of shiny remote work tools or good local offices will make any difference for people who look for relocation. They'll just choose to work for company that does offer relocation.
Have you been to India? I genuinely love the place but if you want to live and work somewhere then (in general) you're not going to choose a country with poor infrastructure over places like the US or most of Europe unless you're feeling adventurous or have some specific reason to. So it's not a case of not being willing to work remotely but preferring to move.
> you're not going to choose a country with poor infrastructure over places like the US or most of Europe unless you're feeling adventurous or have some specific reason to
Being FROM India is a good reason to work in India. Do you think uprooting your life is a piece of cake? What if you have old parents? What if you prefer your own culture and not being an immigrant for the rest of your life?
Also, you're overlooking how much a good software engineer makes in India (adjusted for cost of living). It's probably somewhere in the top 1% of Indian earners. That's living in a mansion with servants kinda rich. In Canada a software engineer, even working for Meta, is still middle to upper middle class. Some of them probably can't afford a home without taking a huge debt. They will live comfortably but won't be rich in relative terms.
> Do you think uprooting your life is a piece of cake?
I'm an immigrant in a non-English speaking country, I'm well aware of how difficult it is to uproot, and I can tell you that what I'm doing (on the surface) is much harder than going from India to North America.
> That's living in a mansion with servants kinda rich.
That doesn't counter the problems with the infrastructure. If you stay in your mansion then I'm sure it's great but go outside…
Funnily enough, I used to wonder if I could set myself up in India with a VOIP number with a London area code, so I've considered it. But now I'm older and wiser and I'd choose Canada too (just).
You can probably still go to Canada if you wanted to! Their generous immigration policy is only getting more generous.
Anyway best of luck! From a fellow (ex) immigrant.
