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Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

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Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#61

Post by exstudent »

bruceb wrote: post #49
exstudent wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you know, everyone who's not xenophobic, enjoys living in a diverse community and philosophically believes people should be able to live wherever they want.

Pretty much every country has limits on immigration. It is hardly unique to the US. There are different cultures and traditions in the world. It takes for people to adjust to a new country and the country to adjust to them.

The internet is a good example of a culture than can exist if you do away with artificial barriers between groups of people. Modern immigration policy is not inherently correct and it wasn't devised during an age of hyper connectivity.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#62

Post by libria »

enraged_camel wrote: post #6
yelnatz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can imagine Seattle's weather, that's basically Vancouver.

It's funny you bring up Seattle. Temperature is only one factor. Another big one is humidity. Seattle is the 7th most humid city in the US, which can make 45 degrees feel like 30 and 80 degrees feel like 95. This is why Seattle weather is miserable year around except for a fe weeks in late spring and early summer. Not to mention the constant rain, of course. Drizzle , they call it.

This is highly subjective. Looking at the list[1] you really need feet on the ground to evaluate it correctly. Seattle/SF might be technically more humid than other cities, but they get coastal breeze and constant air movement. Anything with dense treelines (SE US) or in a valley might have lower humidity but stagnant air means sweat never evaporates and even businessmen run around w/ pit stains. It's prob just lack of residential AC that makes it seem hot at times, but it's definitely got nothing on a VA/GA/MD summer.

The drizzle combined w/ high latitude create very dark winters though.

[1] http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/most-humid...

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#63

Post by exstudent »

x0x0 wrote: post #57
exstudent wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you know, everyone who's not xenophobic, enjoys living in a diverse community and philosophically believes people should be able to live wherever they want.

Claiming not wanting open borders == xenophobia is, well, good luck with that, champ.

Why don't you want open borders? You haven't said why it's bad.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#64

Post by myth_drannon »

Just a personal example, a friend of mine was looking for a web dev position in Montreal for months until he found some low paying crappy job, he then decided to move to Vancouver and found a job within 3 weeks! Vancouver job market is burning hot and startups are having difficulties hiring, I read some even consider setting up offices in Montreal.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#65

Post by seanmcdirmid »

enraged_camel wrote: post #6
yelnatz wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can imagine Seattle's weather, that's basically Vancouver.

It's funny you bring up Seattle. Temperature is only one factor. Another big one is humidity. Seattle is the 7th most humid city in the US, which can make 45 degrees feel like 30 and 80 degrees feel like 95. This is why Seattle weather is miserable year around except for a fe weeks in late spring and early summer. Not to mention the constant rain, of course. Drizzle , they call it.

Wow, so uninformed...

Having lived in Mississippi and Seattle for 4+ years each (Seattle it was more like 8), windchill is much worse in Mississippi than it is in Seattle. In Seattle, you can pretty much leave your window open year round and have a nice sleep. 70 is considered hot in the summer; 40 is considered cold in the winter.

Now Mississippi: hot humid summers, cold humid winters. Life pretty much sucks outside of Fall/Spring.

Edit: in the interest of keeping people away from Seattle, I take everything back and agree with parent.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#66

Post by inoop »

Earlier this year I interviewed for a research/engineering position at Apple. I was offered the job, took it, and went into the H1B lottery. It took the USCIS four months to let me know that my application was not selected, even though it was filed under 'premium processing', and the draw had been done using a computer in the first week after submissions closed. Since the job required me to be in Cupertino, the deal simply fell through.

Now imagine this, you worked your ass for for a total of nine years to get your masters and PhD, and you spent countless hours honing your skills and finally you get a dream job that merges awesome research, top-level engineering, and working on a product that millions of people use every day. And then it all goes tits up because of a lottery.

A. Fucking. Lottery.

The problem for people like me is that, if I want to work in the US, I have to go through a lottery that will keep me in uncertainty for months. Then, _maybe_, if I'm lucky enough, I can relocate only to have the same thing looming a few years down the line. I cannot build a life around such uncertainty. I cannot built a future like that.

So, I'm staying in Europe. Not having been born in the US means that a lot of jobs are just not open to me, not because it's impossible to get them, but simply because the hassle is just not worth it anymore.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#67

Post by paul »

x0x0 wrote: post #33
paul wrote: post #15

I think if we ever start a second YC location, this will be the reason -- to help founders who are unable to get past the US immigration system. It's unfortunate that our government is becoming increasingly dysfunctional at every level -- federal, state, and local governments are all failing to do their jobs. I'm glad that Canada is introducing some competitive pressure.

If you are referring to recent proposed visa changes, you appear to be defining dysfunctional as not passing visa programs very beneficial to a tiny group of people: incubators like YC, and owners / large investors in tech dependent startups. As not a member of those groups, that's quite a stretch.

Given that I also mentioned state and local government, it should be clear that I'm referring to more than just immigration issues.

I get your point though. I'm an evil capitalist who doesn't want to fund Americans because they are unwilling to give up 7% equity, or something like that. Maybe you think that Sergey Brin and Paul Graham stole their jobs from some hard working, native born Americans.

That's the problem with zero-sum thinking. You believe that in order for a foreigner to get ahead, an American must be pushed back.

I have the opposite view. I believe that much of America's success is rooted in having an open and inclusive culture that attracts smart, ambitious, and determined people from around the world who come here and pursue their dreams. And that when they succeed, we all benefit. To me, anti-immigrant is anti-American, both economically and ideologically.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#68

Post by parennoob »

cesarbs wrote: post #56
parennoob wrote: post #22

As someone in the Sisyphean green card system (processing taking forever for the initial application, 6-7 years to go after that for the actual green card, best case); I am really glad that Canada is offering better alternatives. I bet if they emphasize this angle (quicker permanent residency for non-contract employees), they will get a decent amount of talent that otherwise is stuck grinding away in Silicon Valley f…

My wife and I are seriously considering moving to Canada after she graduates from college. We love Washington, but the Green Card system is just awful. We estimate it will still take us 3-4 years till we get ours (we're Brazilians on EB-3 - side note: I never thought I'd regret dropping out from grad school, but now I do, every single day). Until then, our stay here is at the mercy of not getting laid off.

Being at the mercy of anyone is never a great idea, although it might be a regrettable necessity sometimes. So just so you know, after your adjustment for status is filed, and pending for more than 6 months, you are supposed to be able to port the green card to a new employer. Read up more about this process, and be ready to use it if necessary at the appropriate time.

But definitely, weigh the costs and benefits, and do seriously consider Canada.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#69

Post by pyre »

myth_drannon wrote: post #64

Just a personal example, a friend of mine was looking for a web dev position in Montreal for months until he found some low paying crappy job, he then decided to move to Vancouver and found a job within 3 weeks! Vancouver job market is burning hot and startups are having difficulties hiring, I read some even consider setting up offices in Montreal.

In response to a question about why the Montreal Python user group was so popular, I was told (by a member) that it's because there are fewer large companies for developers, so they need to network to find jobs at smaller firms.

Re: Vancouver tech surges as U.S. immigration reform idles

#70

Post by raquo »

refurb wrote: post #42
walterbell wrote: post #23

With the recent cancellation of Canadian real-estate immigration visa, hopefully the Vancouver housing market will stabilize, http://www.theprovince.com/business/Will+cancellation+Immigr... China has been allowing domestic yuan conversion to western mortgages, boosting real estate demand in Vancouver, NY, SF & elsewhere, http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Secret+path+revealed+Ch...

Wow! I had no idea the Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) worked that way in Canada![1] Basically you just give the Canadian gov't an $800K, interest-free loan and you get residency? Maybe I'm not reading it right, but you don't invest your money, the gov't invests it for you? And it's guaranteed? I thought it was more like the US system where you had to invest money in a company of your choosing. If the company went u…

AFAIK such a system is not uncommon, e.g. Australia and NZ also have it Canada-style, but the required $ amounts in their programs are much higher.

Investing in a Canadian company is also an option to get residence.

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