YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas • Hacker News Board

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#151

Post by muninn_ » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:02 PM UTC

elif wrote: post #127

muninn_ wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because a few people from outside the US are worried about visa issues before applying to an incubator doesn't spell the end of Silicon Valley. The money, talent, and infrastructure to support startups (and large tech companies for that matter) aren't going away anytime soon and likely wouldn't go away even if we completely completely halted green card holders. Not that I would ever advocate something like that.

I don't think it's "a few people." It is everyone holding or desiring a US visa that is worried. I would contend that it is only the extent of that fear that is variable. Maybe I am wrong and there are visa holders feeling absolute confidence at the moment, but I would like to hear why from even one before considering your "a few people" categorization as anything but spin.

I'm speaking in relation to Y Combinator and those who are looking to apply to come to the United Stats to start a company. The number of those people is an absolutely small number compared to the whole. Unless you have data proving otherwise?

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#152

Post by xiaoma » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:02 PM UTC

clamprecht wrote: post #4

Wow. We often wonder how the Bay Area would be unseated as startup capital of the world. Maybe it'll be the US's immigration problem.

I completely agree that visas are a problem but I disagree that they will be "the problem" to unseat Silicon Valley as the world nexus of startups.

I've spent most my adult life in Asia and have lived in several countries and cities that claim to be very serious about becoming the next tech hub. None of them have very liberal immigration policies. All have visas for highly skilled workers, all have visas for entrepreneurs and all have visas for investors. I have yet to see a single case where a founder could get a visa without either significant revenues or significantly more funding than YC originally gave. It's also pretty hard for mid-stage startups to hire foreign workers, even in places with exceptional government-driven startup initiatives such as Singapore.

In my perception, Silicon Valley's most critical weakness is housing prices and its most likely true competitor is Beijing—not due to openness of immigration by any means, but due to a larger base of technically educated citizens and access to what is becoming the largest market in the world.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#153

Post by discombobulate » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:02 PM UTC

chuhnk wrote: post #19

What if it's because I oppose the muslim ban and refuse to enter the US? That's a serious question. Actually I feel like the response to that will be, "It's your choice" but hey solidarity man!

Have all Muslims been banned from the US? I thought it was only a set of countries draw up by Obama.

Edit: Words are hard!

Edit2: Yes, downvote me & upvote the hyperbole. Welcome to the post-fact world. All Muslims are banned. Trump is Hitler. The stock market's going to crash. Anyone right of Obama is racist scum who should lose their job. Etc.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#154

Post by drpgq » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:02 PM UTC

JamilD wrote: post #3

This is great news for both Canadian and international founders. Is the next step having an additional Canadian office for those that can't get US visas? Canada has a generous startup visa for founders coming from other countries [0]. [0] http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/business/start-up/

Geez, Canada's old problem of being a branch plant economy is back, 2017 edition.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#155

Post by exabrial » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:03 PM UTC

minikites wrote: post #67

exabrial wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the intent of my comment, I can't believe I'm being downvoted for a rational question presented in a neutral manner.

> trying to separate fact from hysteria Painting the people who oppose the policy as "hysterical" isn't neutral and I bet that's what people are reacting to.

Personaly I oppose the policy. I think blocking an entire nation for the crimes of an acute minority is stupid. However the reaction from the media and the excitement over hypotheticals I have no other description for other than Hysteria. It's not useful to overreact, and it makes having rational discussion about the topic difficult.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#156

Post by JamilD » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:03 PM UTC

muninn_ wrote: post #147

JamilD wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that's necessarily true. The Bay Area's become an international hub for tech, not just a domestic one — many influential founders (including Elon Musk, Peter Thiel) were born outside the United States.

I don't disagree. It is the world's premier tech hub. But a fleeting 4 year long ban on immigrants wouldn't turn the city to rubble and leave everybody without jobs as Google and Y Combinator pack up bags and move to Tijuana and Beijing. There are larger forces at play here than that.

Of course. But it'll do some damage, which will only get worse as time goes on. What about 8 years? 12? If you restrict skilled legal immigration long-term, you're necessarily going to (slowly) drive companies away.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#157

Post by muninn_ » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:03 PM UTC

Iv wrote: post #103

muninn_ wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because a few people from outside the US are worried about visa issues before applying to an incubator doesn't spell the end of Silicon Valley. The money, talent, and infrastructure to support startups (and large tech companies for that matter) aren't going away anytime soon and likely wouldn't go away even if we completely completely halted green card holders. Not that I would ever advocate something like that.

> aren't going away anytime soon Reading the news, I would not bet too much money on that either.

I'd love to actually take that bet. Excluding thermonuclear war, if things get annoying enough we'll just elect a democrat next year and restore the political arena that people believe is best. One (what seems to be) bad president isn't going to completely ruin Silicon Valley. It's pure hyperbole.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#158

Post by ruleabidinguser » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:03 PM UTC

minikites wrote: post #67

exabrial wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the intent of my comment, I can't believe I'm being downvoted for a rational question presented in a neutral manner.

> trying to separate fact from hysteria Painting the people who oppose the policy as "hysterical" isn't neutral and I bet that's what people are reacting to.

Well he didn't do that...

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#159

Post by drzaiusapelord » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:04 PM UTC

sremani wrote: post #12

May be this is a dumb question, I will ask it anyway, Tijuana Mexico is about 500 miles from Bay Area, where as Vancouver Canada is 1000 miles. Que Canada?

Other than the language barrier? I imagine its terrible crime problem is a mark against it as well. It had 100+ more murders than often-cited Chicago last year with 1/3rd the population of Chicago!

Also at $15,000 GDP per capita, its not exactly a wealthy place. Vancouver chimes it at 3x that and had all of one murder last year.

Re: YC will hold interviews in Vancouver for founders who can’t get US visas

#160

Post by drpgq » Thu, Mar 09, 2017, 6:04 PM UTC

mck- wrote: post #102

ilugaslifg wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But a senior engineer in Vancouver makes less than a coffee-fetching intern in SF.

In a scenario where more YC companies set up shop in Vancouver, and US investors follow to bet on the next Slack up here, then this will naturally change as a function of supply/demand.

Maybe, although taxes are a lot higher in Canada for anything beyond an average salary.