Recruiting workers Canada offers immigrants a better deal

America's loss is Canada's gain: the province of Alberta has been holding job fairs in the United States, targeting immigrants, USA Today reports.

Alberta, which has a booming economy, is looking for skilled workers. It is finding them in the United States where it has been recruiting since April.

The province is seeking immigrants in the United States on H-1 or H-3 visas for specialized work in technology, health care and other fields.

Alberta representatives recently held an information session for about 200 immigrants at the Canadian Embassy in Washington. The Canadians have attended job fairs in Maryland, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Palo Alto, Calif. They were planning to be in New York City next month.

The special program expedites applications from skilled immigrants in America. It is embraced by skilled workers who are frustrated with America's immigration system.

Qualifying for permanent residency status in the United States can take years. Some immigrants with specialized skills have complained that their spouses are not permitted to work.

By contrast, Alberta grants eligible applicants and their families permanent residency in six to 12 months. Spouses are allowed to work, too.

In Canada, the federal government allows its provinces some leeway in recruiting skilled workers as Alberta is doing. Wendy Blackwell of Alberta's Ministry of Employment and Immigration told USA Today why the province has been successful recruiting such workers in the United States.

"People say it's so difficult for them here," she said. "The people who have been coming to see us have been the well-educated, people that are concerned about the way the U.S. economy is going, people that really want to start looking at other options."

Alberta, a province of 3.3 million people, is growing economically, particularly in oil and gas production. Saskatchewan is growing too and is considering recruiting in the United States as well.

Fawad Rehman, 29, an information technology consultant in Columbia, Md., is in the United States on a temporary visa. He plans to start a business school like the one his family runs at home in Pakistan, and a construction company.

"I want to start these businesses," he said. "But I'm not trying here yet because I don't know if I will be here permanently."

He has applied to become a permanent resident in Alberta, USA Today reported.

The immigration debate in the United States has focused on security. But that is not the only consideration.