Need info sources re: Canada-->U.S. immigration for waiting job.

[Patrick O'Connell <titanide -at- MICRO -dot- ORG>]

Hi gang,

Here's the situation: I am currently unemployed and living in Montreal,
Quebec, Canada. One of my recent "Help! I need a job!"-type postings on
techwr-l got me to the point where a company in Vermont wants to see me
for a preliminary interview (Kara L., bless your heart).

HOWEVER...the person who'll be interviewing me doesn't think I'm likely to
get hired for the job because I don't have a Green Card -- apparently if I
had one now, it would be a whole different ballgame.  Basically she
believes the higher-ups will find the hand-waving necessary to get me
across the border and on board not worth the trouble; they'll prefer to
hire someone who's not quite as good a fit for the job, *locally*.

The interview's next Monday. I am VERY interested in this job and in its
location, and I have today (Thursday) and tomorrow to find out what I can
about this situation.

What I believe so far: with a firm offer from a U.S.  company, getting a
1-year work visa (J1?) is no problem, and that a 1-year visa either
facilitates obtaining a G.C., or is renewable indefinitely, providing you
keep working for company X, until your chit comes up in the G.C. lottery.
Am I even close? Feel free to be didactic in your reply ( :-) if you know
in detail about this kind of situation as it relates specifically to
Canada.


Thanks in advance for any and all advice forthcoming,
Patrick
titanide -at- micro -dot- org