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Raza Mirza knows he could earn at least US$40,000 more a year south of the border.

The high-tech engineer, who was recruited to Vancouver from Pakistan in 2008, has watched many of his foreign-born colleagues grab their first high-tech jobs in Metro Vancouver.

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But then, as soon as they can navigate the more difficult migration process into the U.S., many have moved to cities like San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle.

For a variety of reasons, Mirza is one of the foreign-born workers who intend to put down roots in Canada. He says he has “immensely benefited” from making the relatively easy immigration transition to B.C.

Mirza is one player in a complex global competition for high-tech talent, which has turned into a political and corporate tug of war.

It’s a battle that sometimes pits North American companies that seek foreign labour against homegrown Americans and Canadians who yearn for more access to computer training.