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Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

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Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#191

Post by _vn5r »

walshemj wrote: post #185
toomuchtodo wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is wonderful. Thank you.

This might only applys in France in the eu each state implements directives from the EU as it sees fit there can be wide discrepancies For example the way the Spanish implemented TUPE (how employees are treated in take over) is basically a big f$%k you to the EU as it makes no attempt to implement even anything close to the spirit of the directive. I suspect that Germany might be stricter on the university Degree. Al…

To note: The spain blue card info says: Proof of adequate training and, if applicable, professional qualifications to practise the profession.

http://extranjeros.empleo.gob.es/es/InformacionInteres/Folle...

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#192

Post by CalRobert »

oscargrouch wrote: post #55

If you are a expat and want to create a startup in Berlin, how hard is it? what would you need? how hard is to get the visa? I've seen that France was creating a "startup visa" to help foreigners founders to create companies there. Is there something similar going on on Germany? Im realling looking over this, and was thinking about Berlin, Paris or Rio (on my own country) Edit: I also can go for the Polish citizenshi…

Edit: I also can go for the Polish citizenship as a polish descendant and get into the EU that way as another option

That seems like the obvious choice. Do that. Then you can do this like any other EU citizen, and if it fails you're not worried about getting kicked out.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#193

Post by kingi »

wellboy wrote: post #69
chimeracoder wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If really wanted to work in Berlin or elsewhere, you'd do it, and it wouldn't be a big deal. This is simply getting at the notion of the premium - how much I value working abroad. A more formal way of asking this question, assuming for simplicity a $100K/year salary: "How attractive (measured in dollars) is the idea of working in Berlin?" If it's worth $30,000/year, you'll do it as long as you can make 70% of your…

Berlin is 3 times cheaper in terms of rent & food than San Francisco.

well, that's true but you only get ~30% to 50% of the salary (amount in EURO) compared to SV and you have to pay around 48% taxes on your income.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#194

Post by pantalaimon »

Aloisius wrote: post #98
claudius wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Out of state tuition is typically expensive if you want to go to a top university, but the average community college is downright cheap. Studying at Germany’s best public universities (e.g. LMU Munich, FU Berlin etc.) will set you back about 250 € per term (6 months), which includes a public transport ticket (or about 50€ if said public transport ticket is not mandatory for all students). How ‘cheap’ exactly is a c…

California Community College tuition is about $1,100 per year and another $1,700 in books and supplies. That excludes room and board, personal expenses, transportation and the like. That's not quite as low as Germany, but very doable. California State University system by comparison costs $6,600 in tuition for the year while the University of California system is around $13,000. Of course both of those are probably l…

Are you really required to buy the books? I've only bought CLRS and never really needed it. And there's always the library, bur unless you want to go more in-depth than the lecture, your* lecture notes and the slides would suffice to get through the test.

[*] fortunately I had a friend who was dedicated to producing beautiful lecture notes in LaTeX

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#195

Post by wellboy »

kingi wrote: post #193
wellboy wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Berlin is 3 times cheaper in terms of rent & food than San Francisco.

well, that's true but you only get ~30% to 50% of the salary (amount in EURO) compared to SV and you have to pay around 48% taxes on your income.

You have to pay taxes of 48% for everything above 52k€ salary. If you earn 60k€, you have to "only" approx pay 30% taxes.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#196

Post by cesarbs »

peterjmag wrote: post #56

I successfully applied for a work visa here in Berlin, and I was blown away by how quick the process was, especially in contrast to the stories I hear about the same process in the US. From submitting all the paperwork to getting word that my application was approved, it took a grand total of 7 days . I was expecting to wait at least a few weeks, but it seems that the new Blue Card legislation has really streamlined…

Do you think it will continue to be this simple to get a Blue Card? I currently live in the US but Europe is "the dream" for my wife and I. We just don't move now because my wife is going to college here, so we want to wait for her to graduate first. But we fear by the time she graduates (probably 2 years from now), it won't be so easy to get to Europe anymore.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#197

Post by jmspring »

It is a bit off topic, but do people have a good reference to German government policy around self employment visas and laws? Realistically, via the wife (a German national), I could arrange necessary permits when we decide to move there. That said, I'd like to know what the self employment/self funding routes might be just to be better rounded in the whole approach.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#198

Post by epsylon »

nerfhammer wrote: post #138
wheels wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the at-will thing, in addition to it being easier if the company has demonstrable financial problems as someone else mentioned, one thing that makes it less of an issue is that usually when you start at a company in Germany you're given a fixed-term contract. It's only after your third contract (i.e. usually after two years) that you're required to get a permanent contract. In most cases if there's a real clash it…

> The working hours thing, for better or worse, is broadly ignored in software companies. However, Germans at least take the idea of vacation time seriously

I'd argue that it's the other way around: Americans don't take vacation time very seriously.

Re: Startups Like Berlin Because Visa Rules Are Nothing Like the U.S.

#200

Post by mbesto »

oijaf888 wrote: post #132
mbesto wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You will, however, pay two metric shit-tonnes in professional fees getting your U.S. tax returns prepared because the international tax rules are so ridiculous. Really? All I did in my tax returns was say "I made this much outside of the US and paid this much in taxes". As long as the percentage is higher than you would have paid in the US, than you owe nothing. In the case that you don't...well then you might want…

Did you make sure to file the FBAR report on all your foreign bank accounts and other financial accounts such as any mandatory retirement accounts? I believe the basic part of filing taxes (such as that) is pretty easy, the hard part is when you have to disclose every account that you may be considered to have control over and in some cases pay taxes on it. I think I saw somewhere else that you may have to pay US inc…

> Did you make sure to file the FBAR report on all your foreign bank accounts and other financial accounts such as any mandatory retirement accounts?

Yes. That's even easier than a tax return. You simply put in "This account exists from this bank in this country, and holds X amount"

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