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

blog.ycombinator.com

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

#501

Post by kolbe »

komali2 wrote: post #284
mehaveaccount wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calexit would allow California to bring in anyone they want though, and SF wouldn't have to worry about the US immigration policy screwing up it's tech scene. I'm looking forward to the Calexit proposition vote.

The obvious question is will the US government allow one of its most profitable states to leave? Highly doubtful. Great way to start another civil war, though!

I'm sure Cali would be able to leave, they just wouldn't be able to take their assets with them.

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

#502

Post by arcticbull »

dusing wrote: post #165
OoTheNigerian wrote: post #116

Great intent. I'd like to know the reasoning behind choosing Canada as an alternative interview location because from experience, it easier to get a US visitor visa than that of Canada. Nigerians cannot even transit the Canadian airport without a visa which takes upward of 8 weeks to get AFTER approval vs days for the US. Requirements for Canada are more onerous. 2 suggestions. 1. A country of interview per continent…

I also know several US citizens that have been denied entry into Canada because of a DUI in the United States. AFAIK It's not a hard fast rule, and you won't find out until you get there. Canada doesn't exactly have an open border.

It's particularly interesting given that having a DUI on your record is not disqualifying for entry into the USA. The US denies entry for what it deems crimes of moral turpitude, a relatively nebulous concept, though one a DUI does not fall under.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_turpitude

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

#503

Post by [deleted] »

dominotw wrote: post #479
curiousfiddler wrote: post #448

If you don't provide opportunity and a good civil environment to brilliant/enterprising people, they will find a way elsewhere. And once Vancouver or any other city starts working for them, Silicon Valley will lose its exclusivity. The thing to note here is that this response from YC is not a political one, but a response that came out of market demand; it is pretty significant if it works out.

Been hearing this since late nineties about how inability to get visas is going to be the death of US tech industry. Absolutely nothing has changed since h1b visa was initially implemented, its almost exactly the same when as it was conceived. And yet U.S tech industry is not dead.

[deleted]

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

#504

Post by drpgq »

vkou wrote: post #363
drpgq wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

The highest marginal income tax rate in Vancouver, BC is 47%. The highest marginal income tax rate in California is 52%. For that tax money, in Vancouver, you will also get free* healthcare. In San Francisco, you will get... Actually, I'm not sure what you'll get. The biggest prison system in the world? The biggest military in the world? * At the higher tax brackets, you will need to pay a $1,800/year MSP premium for…

Yeah but where do those highest marginal rates kick in? Especially with the Canadian dollar this week being around 74 cents.

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

#505

Post by Tiktaalik »

mediocrejoker wrote: post #451
Pxtl wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be delicious and terrible irony if Vancouver took over the role of startup capital, since it is the only place with a more unaffordable housing market than the SF bay.

Vancouver's prices are high but they are not SF-high. If you mean housing cost relative to salary, however, that's perhaps a different story.

The average price of a detached home in Metro Vancouver (includes suburbs of Vancouver) in February was $1.76 million. That's down from $1.82 million a year earlier. 99.7% of properties in the City of Vancouver proper are valued at more than $1 million. The average price for a detached home in the City of Vancouver in 2016 was $2.77 million.

I've had some trouble finding closely comparable values but it seems like the median SF detached home price is ~$1 million. Even considering the exchange rate, it seems like Vancouver is more expensive.

Certainly when one compares typical incomes Vancouver is dramatically less affordable than San Francisco.

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

#506

Post by ar15saveslives »

bruceb wrote: post #115
asadlionpk wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you even been to Dubai? It's more happening place than SF. Clearly you have no idea and can't differentiate b/w Saudi and Dubai.

Look at the visa policy for unmarried women under 30 for Dubai. It's not SA yes, but is still restrictive update: It seems the restriction on women traveling who don't have husbands/fathers has been relaxed/ended. Looking more into it. Update 2: On UAE Embassy for US no mention of restrictions But not the case for other countries. For Indian women one provider states: For female applicants and students who are above…

Try to get Schengen or US visa if you're a single woman under 30. Visa officers will openly treat you as a prostitute.

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

#507

Post by drc511 »

dominotw wrote: post #479
curiousfiddler wrote: post #448

If you don't provide opportunity and a good civil environment to brilliant/enterprising people, they will find a way elsewhere. And once Vancouver or any other city starts working for them, Silicon Valley will lose its exclusivity. The thing to note here is that this response from YC is not a political one, but a response that came out of market demand; it is pretty significant if it works out.

Been hearing this since late nineties about how inability to get visas is going to be the death of US tech industry. Absolutely nothing has changed since h1b visa was initially implemented, its almost exactly the same when as it was conceived. And yet U.S tech industry is not dead.

Whats happening is response to current available alternatives(solutions ) , which was not exploited in 90s

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

#508

Post by cmrdporcupine »

fixxer wrote: post #426
komali2 wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The obvious question is will the US government allow one of its most profitable states to leave? Highly doubtful. Great way to start another civil war, though!

I hear a lot of people in my area (West burbs of Chicago) joke about building the wall up to cut off California. Sure, they're joking, but I don't think the average citizen outside CA gives a damn about the state as a tax revenue base. They do, however, get tired of the far left rhetoric. Nobody thinks more highly about California than Californians. Personally, I am ambivalent (and technically I am a Californian).

Only in the US could middle of the road Keynesian economics with a touch of social liberalism be called "far left"

Good grief.

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

#509

Post by anigbrowl »

pascalxus wrote: post #498
curiousfiddler wrote: post #448

If you don't provide opportunity and a good civil environment to brilliant/enterprising people, they will find a way elsewhere. And once Vancouver or any other city starts working for them, Silicon Valley will lose its exclusivity. The thing to note here is that this response from YC is not a political one, but a response that came out of market demand; it is pretty significant if it works out.

But, this could also be quite positive for the bay area. By reducing the number of jobs, It might finally provide the housing relief the bay area so desperately needs.

Yes, I often save time on household chores by burning my home to the ground instead.

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

#510

Post by anigbrowl »

apsec112 wrote: post #213
tptacek wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't worry so much. You have a mortal lock on the pipeline of first-time tech founders, and your cycles are overwhelmingly populated by graduates of US and European universities. Yes, a fair number of talented people from disfavored west Asian countries won't be able to start up here. That's OK: because of the way venture capital works, and because of YC's role in it, they really won't be able to start at all, and y…

"because of YC's role in it, they really won't be able to start at all" Not sure what the reasoning is here. How is YC doing anything to block people from starting companies? You don't lose anything by getting rejected from YC, other than the few days spent applying.

Don't be naive. If you're not in with the cool kids, then you don't get invited to the cool parties. That's not a criticism of YC, it's just the social reality.
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