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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

#331

Post by sbmthakur »

User23 wrote: post #89
untog wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't sound great for the individual, though. Standard of life in the US and Canada is higher than in India, and they'll likely want their kids to grow up in better circumstances than they did, if that's possible. Besides, you're not going to make a million dollars in a few years. New grad salaries take a while to turn into experienced developer salaries, and the money you make from 20-30 is unlikely to last you…

Parent's point is that rather than just improving the lives of a few hundred thousand emigrants, it's far more moral to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians and that can't happen if the best and brightest all leave.

Yup. Brain drain is a real problem in India. Keeping talent in the country is a big problem and China is beating us here too.

It also true that we don't have the capability to support large number of talented folks. Thinks are improving for sure. But it will take much more effort to improve the situation rapidly.

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

#332

Post by dragonwriter »

sublupo wrote: post #318

This sounds weird but I've wondered something. Since California is a sanctuary state, can't workers come over with H1B and then simply not leave when the Visa expires?

> Since California is a sanctuary state, can't workers come over with H1B and then simply not leave when the Visa expires?

No.

“Sanctuary state” means state resources (including state personnel time) aren't being used to actively aid federal immigration authorities, it doesn't mean federal immigration laws are nullified or that you won't be deported out face other federal law consequences in the case you describe.

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

#333

Post by Latteland »

calvinbhai wrote: post #290

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 pa…

I am an american, and I'm sick about what is happening. We are going to see a real brain drain. In the top end tech market at least, there's a massive shortage of people who can do bespoke software. Seattle has endless job opportunities.

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

#334

Post by xtracto »

what_ever wrote: post #300
xtacy wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be worth getting a PhD first in the US and then migrating to Canada!

Tbh, if you have a PhD, it's not too bad on EB1.

Went looking for eb1 as I have a PhD from a red brick Univ.

PhD is not enough according to Wikipedia:

The EB-1 is a preference category for United States employment-based permanent residency. It is intended for "priority workers". Those are foreign nationals who either have "extraordinary abilities", or are "outstanding professors or researchers", and also includes "some executives and managers of foreign companies who are transferred to the US".[1] It allows them to remain permanently in the US.

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

#335

Post by masonic »

vlovich123 wrote: post #253
paxy wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every administration and every congress in the last two decades has called for sweeping immigration overhaul. What they actually do remains to be seen.

Actually Obama got close with a pretty compelling bill but the Senate Republicans continually filibustered it for 3 years (even those who were originally cosponsors) and that was enough because at the time it required a supermajority to break the filibuster (& in 2011 the RNC took over the Senate & House in the midterms) [1]. I wouldn't say there has been genuinely two decades of calls for sweeping immigration reform…

Democrats did have filibuster-proof supermajorities several times under Obama; Democrats voting against cloture made the difference(0).

The legislation changed significantly over the sessions. Republicans stopped supporting it after Reid reneged on requiring e-verify.

(0) https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_...

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

#336

Post by masonic »

eloff wrote: post #177
r00fus wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, most of the US is more temperate than most of Canada. So better like the cold/snow. Given the current US administration it might be a good trade. Of course, the great Canadian conspiracy of promoting global warming to equalize that benefit may turn the tables in a couple of decades or so... /snark

Canada is super environmentally conscious. I don't know where you get the idea from that we promote global warming, except as being a petroleum exporter (the US is a much bigger petroleum producer.) I can think of one glaring example of climate change denial among developed nations, however...

If you've ever been through the Inside Passage by air or sea, you'll see almost every island or hill with clear-cut logging scars.

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

#337

Post by Jack000 »

bitL wrote: post #76

Dunno. Salary in Silicon Valley - $300k. Salary in Vancouver - $80k. Rent almost the same. Weather in Silicon Valley - year-round sunny. Weather in Vancouver - 2 months of sun, rest gloomy. Are you sure you want to move to Canada? It used to be that MS/AMZN had a back up base in Vancouver for anyone who didn't make the cut with H1B/O-1.

Vancouver rent is much cheaper than SF in absolute terms (2000 CAD vs 3750USD) - it's even cheaper if you're willing to live in the suburbs and commute. Vancouver is expensive if you make a local salary, but it's great for remote work.

http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/padmapper-average-rent-canada...

https://www.rentjungle.com/average-rent-in-san-francisco-ren...

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

#338

Post by closeparen »

aprdm wrote: post #145
bitL wrote: post #76

Dunno. Salary in Silicon Valley - $300k. Salary in Vancouver - $80k. Rent almost the same. Weather in Silicon Valley - year-round sunny. Weather in Vancouver - 2 months of sun, rest gloomy. Are you sure you want to move to Canada? It used to be that MS/AMZN had a back up base in Vancouver for anyone who didn't make the cut with H1B/O-1.

Why are you comparing an extreme high salary in SF to an average salary in Vancouver?

$300k is a high salary but a perfectly ordinary total comp in the Bay Area (with the caveat that $100-150k of it may be illiquid for a few years).

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

#339

Post by aprdm »

closeparen wrote: post #338
aprdm wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you comparing an extreme high salary in SF to an average salary in Vancouver?

$300k is a high salary but a perfectly ordinary total comp in the Bay Area (with the caveat that $100-150k of it may be illiquid for a few years).

If you work at FAANG like companies surely

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

#340

Post by singhrk »

vthallam wrote: post #144
singhrk wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second that. I am a legal immigrant. Been in US for 5+yrs. Work in a FAANG company. Have a valid work permit (h1b) till 2021. Came back to home country for stamping, now my case is in administrative processing for 4+ months. House/Job/Child Education, all impacted because of this.

Sorry to hear that. Are you still in India waiting for your visa to be processed? Know the reason for administrative processing?

yeah still here. No reason given. Reached out to customer service several times but no conclusive update on (a) why my case is in admin processing (b) how long will it take to get resolved (c) at what status is it currently.

Its just a painful endless wait, which can get over in a few days or in worst case in more than a year

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