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H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

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Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#281

Post by NTDF9 »

bdamm wrote: post #274
NTDF9 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More importantly, with more and more talent present in Canada, more and more startup funding will move there.

I'm not sure that's true. Availability of VC capital is a tricky thing. There's some in Canada but only seems to be in small pockets. The startup scene in Vancouver is so small that basically everyone knows everyone else, for example. Vancouver is also suffering a real estate crisis that is worse than Silicon Valley's. I think it really takes large institutional draws to make a serious dent in the size of a talent po…

> I'm not sure that's true. Availability of VC capital is a tricky thing. There's some in Canada but only seems to be in small pockets.

But that is the reality TODAY based on the talent pool accumulated YESTERDAY.

For other countries, that YESTERDAY is TODAY. They want a SV future and if they had to import some people to recreate SV, this pool of people is it.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#282

Post by bdamm »

__jochen__ wrote: post #238
HumanDrivenDev wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same reason not every "I'm totally moving to canada/australia/new zealand/europe" liberal in the US can do so. Immigration laws.

Unfortunately for you, your conservative peers in the US don't want foreigners like you to immigrate.

I don't know why you're being downvoted. It's totally on point. And there's a subtle point too; conservatism reduces opportunity and there's not much evidence that American conservative values have anything to do with good American wages. In fact, on a state by state basis, the opposite is true.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#283

Post by Scoundreller »

lhorie wrote: post #270
3pt14159 wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Martin you can rent a room in Toronto for $850 with a single housemate. It's no where near that in the valley. What other major costs are there? Healthcare is covered. Dental is <$1k / year. Vision is <$1k / year. Food is way cheaper than SF. Less on accountant fees, less on legal fees, less on anything I can think of, really.

I really don't understand where people get the idea that housing is expensive in Toronto. You can rent a room in a rental home in scarborough or etobicoke for as low as a few hundred dollars. You'd share a house with a dozen people sure, but you typically get a private room at least. The cheapest I've been able to find in SF was $600 for sharing a _room_ with half a dozen people.

> a few hundred dollars

Ya, I'm not buying this. Maybe 12 students sharing a 4/5 bedroom house that is a mid-distance walk from bus transit that requires you to transfer to a another bus/subway to get you where you're going.

If you're a software dev and properly value your time, this type of housing is a no-go.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#284

Post by bdamm »

sheepmullet wrote: post #255
phakding wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am one of those and almost everyone ( with exception of one or two every class) in my masters programs we're on F1 Visa. Most of my friends work six figure jobs in cities nowhere close to as expensive as Bay area. I know for a fact, nobody has accumulated million dollars in cash. Close to million in worth? Yes if you count real estate with mortgage, but not that kid of cash. Math doesn't add up.

> I know for a fact, nobody has accumulated million dollars in cash. I agree, a million in a few years would be rare. In 10 years though? It’s certainly reasonable.

Maybe for a shut-in. I never had the patience to save like that. One of the advantages of SF Bay is the culture.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#285

Post by _iofi »

nambit wrote: post #256
techie128 wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have 3 offers to write books. I, unfortunately, cannot do that due to the H-1B visa restriction. I have been in US legally for over a decade, making 350K+ annually. Our HH income is 700K USD. Before someone jumps in and say but why don't you apply for a EB5 greencard, it's not so simple either. It is 600K (500K + legal and other fees) of my hard earned money down the drain with ZERO certainty of a greencard for YEA…

How does your wife get to 350K+ annually on an H4? That's insane.

It’s not really insane. Many a times, there are skilled spouses who can’t get an H1 because of lottery or some other issue. My spouse had an illustrious career in India and did an MBA in US. She made a lot more than 350k per year and she was on H4 too.

One of my friend’s spouse is a Director in a company. Her company screwed up her Green Card. So she couldn’t extend her H1 beyond 6 years. She had to move to H4 too.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#286

Post by Scoundreller »

t1o5 wrote: post #267

This news has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Not everyone moves to Canada after they get a residency thru the Express Entry system. The majority of them do something called "soft landing" to activate their permanent resident card and go back to US the same day. They use Canada as a plan B if something happens with their greencard process in future. This is actually detrimental for other eligible people who have ap…

> The majority of them do something called "soft landing" to activate their permanent resident card and go back to US the same day. They use Canada as a plan B if something happens with their greencard process in future.

This only buys a maximum of 3 years of insurance (from date of landing). After that, unless you're living with a Canadian citizen spouse, you'll lose PR unless you move to Canada.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#287

Post by overlords »

jim-jim-jim wrote: post #273
overlords wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canada does not have "a far less valuable citizenship compared to other western countries". It's standard of living is (size of house, consumer spending power) is better than any large country except the USA. And the weather is not that different to Boston, Chicago, New York (for Toronto) and Seattle (for Vancouver). Canada won't develop a racism problem because 20% of the country are already immigrants and Canada do…

I live right on the coast, a stone's throw away from NYC. People here are racist as fuck. And my girlfriend was harassed in Germany and Austria for the color of her skin to such a degree that she had to cut her trip short. If the coastal US and Europe are your barometers, then Canada has a racism problem too. I really despise this kind of regionalism because it allows real problems to be smugly swept under the rug. I…

I live in Toronto, and many people are racist here too.

But the point was about Trump - yes New York and California might turn xenophobic, and then Canada might too, but it's not likely (too many minorities/immigrants are friends or marriage partners of white people in these places).

Europe is more racist and has always has been (witness soccer match hooligansim). They're limousine liberals (they don't have many dark skinned people except for UK/France and so hate "racism in theory", but don't have much direct experience with immigrants/minorities to become racist like many in the american south).

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#288

Post by stevenwoo »

eloff wrote: post #262
stevenwoo wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which part of Canada and what kind of environmentally conscious? The mining companies in Canada don't seem too particularly environmentally conscious according to the older Canadian news article that aligns with my memory. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2010/10/19/canadian_mini... Also, the a large majority of wells in Canada are now fracking wells so fresh water contamination is a consideration as well, it seem…

Are mining companies anywhere environmentally conscious anymore than they have to be? The people and politics of Canada are in favor of combating climate change in many respects. Not like the US withdrawing from the Paris accords.

75% of mining companies are based in Canada. I'm surprised they are not based in the Cayman Islands or offshore but they choose Canada for favorable legal treatment and lax oversight.

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wdb4j5/75-of-the-worlds-m...

I'm sure otherwise Canada is environmentally woke, and America's coal barons could give Canada's mining companies a run for the environmentally unfit / socially unsound money.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#289

Post by martin_iden »

3pt14159 wrote: post #252
martin_iden wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really like Toronto, but cost of living is high (one of the largest housing bubbles in the world, high taxes), salaries are low and jobs (not only in tech) are scarce. In the States you won't find engineers, doctors, accountants working in the supermarkets/starbucks. Go to any store in Richmond Hill/North York and you will see plenty. There is an ugly truth that people don't like to discuss much, Canada accepts too…

Martin you can rent a room in Toronto for $850 with a single housemate. It's no where near that in the valley. What other major costs are there? Healthcare is covered. Dental is <$1k / year. Vision is <$1k / year. Food is way cheaper than SF. Less on accountant fees, less on legal fees, less on anything I can think of, really.

Are we comparing apples to apples? You can also find a room on peninsula for 1200-1500 with one housemate. A 2 bedroom apartment in Toronto in a neighborhood similar to where I live here in SV is going to be 2800/3000 CAD, I am paying 3K USD now. Car insurance $70 per month for 2 cars here, I used to pay $380 per month in Canada. My PGE bill is $50-70, in Toronto hydro/gas are going to be at least twice that. My brother paid $400 a month in heating costs last winter (4 year old insulated house). How about $10 beers, $30 entrees in restaurants (not fancy, just regular ones), more expensive gas, activities for kids. It all adds up. And you're missing the point, it's not that prices are high in absolute terms, but relative to salaries (which are very low). i'd be happy to come back to be close to my family, but I can't afford to take a 50%+ pay cut.

Re: H-1B: As immigration furor roils Silicon Valley, Canada smooths way for techies

#290

Post by calvinbhai »

I'm in my 30's, spent > 1/3rd of my life in the US. Got a Masters degree before Obama was elected. Slogged enough, made enough personal sacrifices to achieve what I have.

An employer who hired me based on a promise of EB greencard. Employer screwed me at last moment by giving a lame excuse as to why the GC process stalled.

In the mean time, had saved up enough to put 20% down on a 500K+ home in N.E. US. Had almost paid the booking fee. But wife's employer started giving the deaf ear treatment when following up on the GC.

Now, we are all set to move to Canada in a month or two. Once we find jobs for our respective fields (both are in good, in-demand tech jobs) we'll say good bye to years of bonded labor and living in uncertainty.

So we will finally buy a house in a country which we can call home, without ever thinking of being 'hopeless 3rd class residents of a country with no hopes of citizenship'.

(I hope the Americans who can vote, will work towards fixing this system)

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