Is your business, like thousands of others, impacted by the expansion of H-1B visa restrictions? This post briefly summarizes the impact of those restrictions and offers an alternative to H-1B visa workers for companies in need of world-class Agile development: a new Canadian “nearshoring” partnership.

Cutting off access to nearly 200,000 developers, engineers, programmers, analysts, educators, and other tech specialists from abroad may cause setbacks for many American tech companies. Frankly, from Canada’s perspective, the policy really doesn’t make any sense. Skilled workers are the backbone of the tech industry, and that talent comes from the world over. Why hobble yourself?

So where does the ban leave you? Unless your company wants a legal battle, you’ll have to have to compete, tooth and nail, to recruit and retain local technical talent. And yes, expect to pay a premium for that talent. It’s either that or put your development on hold, somehow, and risk losing time and market traction.

You have a friend: Canada

There is another way forward. With an expert Canadian development partner, you can pivot your operations, maximize your budget, and clear the roadblocks in your development. Plus, you avoid paying for high-priced resources. Instead, Intelliware can successfully train your current technical team in software development best practices, remotely.

But wait, is a productive engagement even possible with everyone dispersed? The answer, most definitely, is yes! In fact, at Intelliware, we have worked with our geographically dispersed clients to deliver software that matters for many years. We collaborate successfully with financial institutions, healthcare providers, startups, and all kinds of organizations worldwide, every day.

Over the course of dozens of projects with clients in Canada, the US, and the EU, Intelliware has developed and refined a robust set of collaborative remote practices leveraging secure technology.

Remote co-teaming breaks down the barriers between us and our clients. Instead of just executing the work for you, our developers can teach your developers the latest and greatest Agile best practices. Adoption services delivered through a co-teaming model can empower your team to build better software while freeing you from any ongoing dependencies on us or anyone else.

Co-team sometimes involves pair programming. This technique pairs team members together to accomplish goals. Pairing helps keep team members synchronized with each other and engaged, and it can fill the gap created by the loss of formal and informal discussions that occur in the project room.

Want more on remote co-teaming? Check out “Remote versus traditional Agile development – the good the bad and the ugly.”

But what’s it like to work with a Canadian company? Outside of a slightly weaker dollar up north, the countries share a lot in common. There’s language, shared values, business practices, educational credentials, a love of sports, movies, music, humor, and so on. Those many connections allow teams across the border to gel quickly, without any language barriers, time-zone issues, or cultural misunderstandings.

Ready for an objective and friendly perspective on your technology roadmap? Let’s talk about what Intelliware can do for you.

Pivot past the politics!

Toronto Skyline

Discover the many benefits of nearshoring in our free new ebook: The Toronto Connection: Your business guide to securing a leading development partner. Learn why so many American tech companies work with application development firms in Toronto and what to look for in a great partner.