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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.

#201

Post by vendakka »

I moved to Tübingen, Germany from the South Bay this week to move closer to my wife. I was able to establish a company and I'm currently working for my company. While I needed to work with a few German lawyers to navigate the legal processes, the whole thing was surprisingly painless.

I was on an H1B in the US and it would have taken me close to a decade to get permanent residence and start a company that I could work for. For some context, I'm an ex-Googler and I've been part of the founding team of a successful startup previously. Despite all the above it would have been difficult for me to found a startup in the US and work for it.

However, after a few months of applying to Germany I now have a registered GmbH, an approval for a Blue Card and I'm paying my bills through consulting. I should be able to start work on my startup in a short while once I have sufficient run-way to pay my own salary for a year or so.

I just signed a lease for office space yesterday and I'm looking forward to exploring the German startup scene.

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

#202

Post by oijaf888 »

mbesto wrote: post #200
oijaf888 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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"

It's interesting that you've found it so easy, first hand antecedents are always useful. Everything I've read about living in another country and having any sort of investments or tax deferred retirement accounts in that country seems like it turns into a paperwork nightmare, especially if you invest in foreign mutual funds.

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

#203

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

kops wrote: post #158
HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's exaggerating somewhat. Bear in mind that no one is forcing the employee to accept this. You can leave a job at any time, for any reason with absolutely no notice just as easily as the employer can get rid of you. If I'm hired to work 40 hours/week for $100k year with 3 weeks vacation, I am entitled to all of that. If the employer then decides that I should work 80 hours a week and he will cut my pay to $60k/year…

> Bear in mind that no one is forcing the employee to accept this. That doesn't quite absolve the employer e.g. if I am stuck in sahara desert and bump into a man starving for days. At this time if I offer him food in return for his soul, would you consider it a fair trade? Even though the poor guy has a choice to reject my offer?

Absolve him from what, exactly? A potential employer is in no way obligated to "give you a job." It is expected to be a fair trade of skill for pay. If you don't like the terms you're offered, you can go somewhere else.

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

#204

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

kops wrote: post #158
HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's exaggerating somewhat. Bear in mind that no one is forcing the employee to accept this. You can leave a job at any time, for any reason with absolutely no notice just as easily as the employer can get rid of you. If I'm hired to work 40 hours/week for $100k year with 3 weeks vacation, I am entitled to all of that. If the employer then decides that I should work 80 hours a week and he will cut my pay to $60k/year…

> Bear in mind that no one is forcing the employee to accept this. That doesn't quite absolve the employer e.g. if I am stuck in sahara desert and bump into a man starving for days. At this time if I offer him food in return for his soul, would you consider it a fair trade? Even though the poor guy has a choice to reject my offer?

nginx is having hiccups, let's try this again...

Absolve him from what, exactly? A potential employer is in no way obligated to "give you a job." It is expected to be a fair trade of skill for pay. If you don't like the terms you're offered, you can go somewhere else.

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

#205

Post by jkarni »

Aloisius wrote: post #93
jkarni wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or: weeding out everyone who believes forms and bureaucracy shouldn't constitute a significant fraction of one's mental landscape, or who is offended by the extent to which the difficulty of the process makes it seem like the government doesn't want you here in the first place, or whose opportunities in other countries are close enough in attractiveness for the annoyance to tip the scale (presumably precisely the peo…

Though "weeding out" or "filtering" to any real extent clearly isn't all that much of a priority when a large part of the system is a lottery. The green card lottery (Diversity Immigrant Visa) makes up less than 5% of the total green cards issued in the US. I'd hardly call that a large part of the system.

I was thinking of H1B.

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

#206

Post by zobzu »

jrockway wrote: post #83
zobzu wrote: post #41

because Germany has good laws and Berlin is a big city, yet EXTREMELY cheap. The visa doesn't have all that much to do with it really. Most of the people in the US don' need a US visa, and guess what, more of the Europeans are close to Berlin. Crazy I know.

Most of the people in the US don't need a US visa I'd say about half of my friends in the US are not US citizens, and their most frequent topic of conversation is visas. If you want to just show up in the US and work illegally, that's fine. But if you want to do it legally, visas are a big deal.

so you're saying half of the US population are not US citizens based on your experience? Sure. Right.
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