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Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#21

Post by [deleted] »

orochimaaru wrote: post #19
compiler-guy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is claiming that everyone is on a legal visa or that companies don’t break the law. The argument is that reentry, even if you are legal right now, might be denied for reasons which wouldn’t have gotten you even a sideways look six months ago. Which surely you don’t disagree?

I'm not sure. The media is pointing out specific cases but the question is what % of travelers on visa made it in/out without trouble. There is heightened focus on enforcement. They may have trained their software to have a lower threshold of social media posts for entry. So, I do believe that you're at risk if you've made controversial statements not in line with what US considers as friendly behavior.

[deleted]

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#22

Post by tomohelix »

MPSFounder wrote: post #12
Teever wrote: post #10

I'm super interested to see what the next HN thread with that proberts lawyer dude is like. I found the commentary in the last post from him to be pretty meagre, whether it was because people were afraid to talk about this kind of stuff or they just didn't know, I'm not sure, but it seems like reality is quickly setting in for a lot of people in the US. Things are changing and they're changing fast. You won't be able…

The most interesting thing I see is people overestimate how resilient the system is. Unfortunately, this is at the whim of a president, who with a majority in the court, dictates the law. With a ban or at his whim, even legal residents can find themselves out. We tend to think the system is resilient to this, but ultimately it really isn't. Scholars cannot even agree on whether these tech workers are entitled to the…

Wait until they declare nonresidents are not entitled to properties in the US and seize all bank accounts and 401k, USSR style.

The scariest thing, and most absurd to me, is that even though I made that joke just 1 minute ago, now that I think about it, it is not completely impossible in this current political climate...

I dread to think about what the US will be 10 years from now. Trump is not the problem. He is a solution, or claimed to be, to the ailments that plague the US. The people here want change, they know something is rotten but they don't even know what is the problem with so many lies and misdirection and days to days burdens they have to bear. So Trump become their cry for help. It is just sad and tragic. Truly something for the history book, if we ever get there.

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#23

Post by BrenBarn »

MPSFounder wrote: post #12
Teever wrote: post #10

I'm super interested to see what the next HN thread with that proberts lawyer dude is like. I found the commentary in the last post from him to be pretty meagre, whether it was because people were afraid to talk about this kind of stuff or they just didn't know, I'm not sure, but it seems like reality is quickly setting in for a lot of people in the US. Things are changing and they're changing fast. You won't be able…

The most interesting thing I see is people overestimate how resilient the system is. Unfortunately, this is at the whim of a president, who with a majority in the court, dictates the law. With a ban or at his whim, even legal residents can find themselves out. We tend to think the system is resilient to this, but ultimately it really isn't. Scholars cannot even agree on whether these tech workers are entitled to the…

> The law is unfortunately very vague and thus open to interpretation (which is ultimately subject to the commander in chief, the current clown)

That is it exactly. The US legal/governmental system is a house of cards that has been running for at least 150 years on a bunch of wink-wink-nudge-nudge assumptions that both sides were too scared to test or even acknowledge. An ounce of prevention might have been worth a pound of cure, but now we'll need the cure, and it's probably going to be painful.

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#25

Post by zombiwoof »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #15
viraptor wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not "don't leave", but "don't put yourself in a situation there you have to reenter". It's in neither party's interest to be in that situation.

What happens if and when ICE starts rounding visa holders up to deport? No snark intended, this is a genuine question based on all available evidence. I don’t endorse such action at all, but we are existing in exceptional times and the discussion is important. “If you stay, what are you getting yourself into?” is a serious question to ask and to manage the risk around.

All somebody needs to do in this climate is call ICE, say their coworker sympathizes with Hamas. They overheard them at work.

Watch how fast the law doesn’t protect them

Unless they work for Elon

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#26

Post by zombiwoof »

throwaway5752 wrote: post #3
xqcgrek2 wrote: post #2

[flagged]

Regardless of your opinions of guest worker visas, they are here voluntarily on legal visas. The immigration lawyers at these companies are advising them they may not be allowed to reenter, for no cause. It is a disgrace to the honor of America.

[flagged]

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#27

Post by tacticalturtle »

brcmthrowaway wrote: post #18

If you are on H1b, buy a burner phone before you leave and enter the country. Should he fine.

If they’re checking phones, having a burner phone with no or few contacts seems like a great way to arouse suspicion at the border.

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#29

Post by lazyasciiart »

zombiwoof wrote: post #24

[flagged]

There is an enormous and visible difference between “not getting a visa” and “getting a visa, relying on it, moving to a new country, and being told that the legal system of the new country has turned to slime and your visa may or may not still be valid”. I’d be interested in hearing about when other countries have done that, if you know of any.

Re: Tech companies are telling immigrant employees on visas not to leave the U.S.

#30

Post by Taniwha »

Yeul wrote: post #17

Funny thing is that getting a visa for China is now more seemless than it has ever been and they love my euros.

Yup, visa condition for me to China are the same as to the US and they aren't likely to search my phone (I've crossed that border dozens of times with barely a hiccup, just a smile)
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