If you have a job offer as a "Software Products Developer", you get pretty much automatic approval for up to a 3 year work permit. I have a friend who literally just brought his offer letter and CV to the border and got in, no paperwork or waiting. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/work/special-tech.asp for a little more info . Now, this doesn't help you if you don't have a Canadian employer, or if you're looking for something more permanent, but it's still pretty hacker friendly.