As US snubs high-tech visas, Indians head to Canada

Agencies
December 20, 2017

New Delhi, Dec 20: ThinkData Works Inc, a big-data processing firm, just hired a software engineer from Brazil through Canada's new fast-track visa programme for high-skilled workers.

"The process was bang on," Bryan Smith, chief executive officer of the Toronto-based company, said. It took less than the government's target of 10 business days to process the recruit's application. Previously it could take several months. "If the government says two weeks and it actually is, that will create a whole new process around it."

As President Trump moves to crack down on the immigration of high-tech workers to the US, PM Trudeau's new Global Skills Strategy is taking off. The Brazilian joins 2,000 other workers who entered Canada under the programme from its start on June 12 to September 30, according to government data.

"It's more successful than we predicted," Canada's immigration minister Ahmed Hussen said. "This programme came from the business community. They identified a challenge and said you need to fix it." Those who are fast-tracked can apply to stay as long as three years and also for permanent residency. Computer programmers, systems analysts, and software engineers, are the top three categories of workers to benefit so far. The bulk come from India — the same country that makes up the majority of US H-1B visas issued — followed by China and France. Word is spreading throughout Canada. Biotech company Cyclica Inc is preparing to use the system for the first time to recruit an American.

As a candidate, Trump railed against the H-1B programme. There are several regulatory and legislative efforts underway in the US to reduce abuse in the programme and the number of applications being challenged has jumped. Applications to the annual lottery for visas dropped this year for the first time in five years, reflecting concerns about a more restrictive approach, though applications still exceed the 85,000 visas available through the lottery. To those who have watched Canada lose talent to the US over the years, the tables may be turning.

Canada's fast-track visa programme is just one part of Trudeau's drive to boost innovation. The government is also pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into venture capital and support for artificial intelligence, joining private money investing in the country's tech hubs in Waterloo and Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver and Montreal.

Two thousand people may be a small sliver when compared with the 320,000 newcomers Canada welcomed last year. "It sounds like a drop in the bucket," says Daniel Mandelbaumof immigration firm Mamann Sandaluk & Kingwell LLP. "The idea is this is two thousand of the best and brightest."

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News Network
June 29,2020

New Delhi, Jun 29: A disturbing video of a Covid-19 patient, speaking his last words, after his oxygen supply was allegedly cut off, has surfaced on social media. The patient reportedly died after indicating that the oxygen supply to him was cut off despite his requests.

The video has a 35-year-old Covid-19 patient bidding good-bye to his family, from a government hospital bed in Hyderabad. The patient Ravi Kumar can be seen speaking out against the negligence of of the medical staff in providing ventilator support to him when he needed it the most.

The video has led to social media outrage as it attracted public attention towards plight of patients in government hospitals

"I am not able to breathe, I pleaded but they did not continue oxygen for the last three hours. I am not able to breathe anymore daddy, it's like my heart has stopped, Bye daddy. Bye to all, daddy," these were apparently the final words of the man, who spoke in his local dialect, and shared on social media.

Several reports have claimed that the man had been admitted to government Chest hospital, after several private hospitals refused to admit him. His ventilator support was allegedly taken off in the hospital, after which he recorded the video message.

The victim’s family shared the video message for the public to know of the negligence.

Reports have it that Ravi’s covid-19 report, which testes positive, was given to family a day after his death, when 30 of his family members performed the final rites, thus making all of them vulnerable to the virus. Ravi’s father has alleged that the test was done on June 24 and Ravi died on June 26, while the report was given to them on June 27.

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News Network
June 22,2020

Geneva, Jun 22: The global count of coronavirus cases has surpassed 8.7 million, with 183,020 new cases recorded on Sunday, the World Health Organisation said in its daily situation report.

Over the last 24 hours, 4,743 people died from COVID-19 worldwide, taking the death toll to 461,715 fatalities, according to the report.

The cumulative global toll of confirmed cases has now reached 8,708,008, as stated in the report.

The WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, shared that Europe accounts for 31 per cent of COVID-19 cases and 43 per cent of COVID-19 deaths globally.

Dr Kluge highlighted that several countries continue to face increasing disease incidence and that "preparing for the autumn is a priority now at the WHO Regional Office for Europe"

The United States continues to be worst affected by the contagion with the highest count of cases and fatalities -- 2.2 million and 118,895, respectively.

The novel coronavirus was declared a pandemic by WHO on March 11.

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News Network
June 24,2020

Islamabad, Jun 24: A plane crash which killed 97 people in Pakistan last month was because of human error by the pilot and air traffic control, according to an initial report into the disaster released Wednesday.

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane came down among houses on May 22 after both engines failed as it approached Karachi airport, killing all but two people on board.

"The pilot as well as the controller didn't follow the standard rules," the country's aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said, announcing the findings in parliament.

He said the pilots had been discussing the coronavirus pandemic as they attempted to land the Airbus A320.

"The pilot and co-pilot were not focused and throughout the conversation was about coronavirus," Khan said.

The Pakistani investigation team, which included officials from the French government and the aviation industry, analysed data and voice recorders.

The minister said the plane was "100 percent fit for flying, there was no technical fault".

The county's deadliest aviation accident in eight years came days after domestic commercial flights resumed following a two-month coronavirus lockdown.

Many passengers were on their way to spend the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr with loved ones.

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