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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

#131

Post by libria »

libria wrote: post #62
enraged_camel wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

(hm can't edit) Anyway, I thought about it more and realized the rain (100% humidity I suppose) probably skews that figure. When it's sunny, it's actually quite dry here as evidenced by my hair staying put, where on the east coast, I'd normally look like a chia pet.

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

#132

Post by Zombieball »

cperciva wrote: post #97
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.

I think if we ever start a second YC location, this will be the reason Please do. Tarsnap will apply to be part of YC Vancouver if it happens. (I'm assuming that if you create a YC somewhere outside of the US it would be in Vancouver, because really, nowhere else in the world is anywhere near as awesome.) FWIW, I think there's two "markets" of which you've only mentioned one -- in addition to founders who can't get U…

Obligatory +1 for launching in Vancouver!

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

#133

Post by seanmcdirmid »

libria wrote: post #131
libria wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

(hm can't edit) Anyway, I thought about it more and realized the rain (100% humidity I suppose) probably skews that figure. When it's sunny, it's actually quite dry here as evidenced by my hair staying put, where on the east coast, I'd normally look like a chia pet.

That is because Seattle's humidity quickly turns into dew:

http://www.komonews.com/weather/faq/4308492.html

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

#134

Post by refurb »

Mandatum wrote: post #116
refurb wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason why non-American countries have "easier" immigration systems is often demand related. Your example "H1-B lottery" is precisely demand related.

To say non-American countries have easier immigration systems on the basis that it is demand related is in my opinion, absurd. Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and many European countries have massive demand. However you'll find most of these countries have opted to sell residency, albeit through business and job investments. Generally skilled workers have to be sought for locally before they get someone over. Usin…

A recent gallup survey says 150M people would move to the US if they could, the UK was a distant second at 45M [1].

As for the lottery, how else could it be done? There is a cap on H1-B visa each year. The USCIS receives more applications than spots the first day you can apply.

[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/153992/150-million-adults-worldwi...

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

#135

Post by jordanthoms »

turar wrote: post #19

This is a repeat of the same story that happened the last time H-1B limit didn't meet the demand for visas. US tech companies, most notably Microsoft, opened "offices" in Vancouver. What happens next is that those employees will work for 1 year in Canada, and then will become eligible for L-1 intra-company transfer back to the US, side-stepping the H-1B quagmire.

Problem with the L1 is that as I understand it, if you are on a L1 you can't apply for a green card or a H1B to stay more permanently in the US. So you are basically wedded to the company you have the visa with.

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

#136

Post by WildUtah »

rdtsc wrote: post #127
inoop wrote: post #66

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…

Just curious, what would you have done to fix the root issue -- handling a large number of H1B requests? One answer is well why should there be a cap. Well there is a cap and one reason is probably because opening the gates wide open will skew the job market in US. For better or for worse it is hard to say but if you ask those in US they might say for worse. So there is a cap. (And obviously it is being pushed agains…

An auction is the obvious solution. Submit bids with your application for the fee to be paid yearly to the USA and the highest bidders get the H1-B visas.

There's no need to raise the cap and all the Apples and Googles get all the applicants they want. Today the majority of H1-B visas go to Wipro and Infosys and the like for low paid tech grunts; Apple won't have any trouble outbidding them. And those tech grunt companies aren't doing anything valuable for the USA so it won't be any loss to have them struggle.

In fact, we should be able to drop the cap to a more reasonable 30-40,000 instead of the recent 85,000.

And we should be able to eliminate almost all the paperwork. In the current system, a US government bureaucrat tries to determine if you're qualified when you apply. Applicants hire lawyers to fake, translate, fabricate, apostille, and make up education and work experience that USCIS expects. If applicants are paying cash, we can presume they're qualified and reduce the application paperwork to one page.

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

#137

Post by mschuster91 »

disbelief wrote: post #104
refurb wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason why non-American countries have "easier" immigration systems is often demand related. Your example "H1-B lottery" is precisely demand related.

Trust me, EU countries have their own immigration demand problems. Especially a place like Germany which has one of the few functioning economies in the block lately. People flock there looking for work. Other countries with huge immigration demand include England and Spain. There are simply better ways of dealing with high immigration demand than "dump everyone into a pot regardless of education/experience/viability…

> Other countries with huge immigration demand include England and Spain

Spain is just wanted due to the proximity to Africa and a lot of African immigrants/refugees using this vector.

> There are simply better ways of dealing with high immigration demand than "dump everyone into a pot regardless of education/experience/viability/urgency and randomly select a few".

We Germans deal with asylum seekers by putting > 2.500 people in camps designed for 1.500 MAXIMUM occupants (Munich, "Bayernkaserne" camp), blocking them from work and giving them free food and 140€ per month as pocket money.

Needlessly to say, that ain't fucking enough for non-food expenses in bigger cities, and what happens if the only thing they do is drink, smoke and fight (as asylum seekers you must not travel around the country, you have to stay in your processing city!) is basically a fucking violation of human dignity.

Of course it also leads to vast criminality - not just the fighting between asylum seekers themselves, but also massive amounts of theft, pot dealing (hello Berlin Görlitzer Park) and other criminality. In order, Nazi-parties and other right-wing extremists gain excellent popularity with "Kick em out" messages.

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

#138

Post by rdtsc »

WildUtah wrote: post #136
rdtsc wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, what would you have done to fix the root issue -- handling a large number of H1B requests? One answer is well why should there be a cap. Well there is a cap and one reason is probably because opening the gates wide open will skew the job market in US. For better or for worse it is hard to say but if you ask those in US they might say for worse. So there is a cap. (And obviously it is being pushed agains…

An auction is the obvious solution. Submit bids with your application for the fee to be paid yearly to the USA and the highest bidders get the H1-B visas. There's no need to raise the cap and all the Apples and Googles get all the applicants they want. Today the majority of H1-B visas go to Wipro and Infosys and the like for low paid tech grunts; Apple won't have any trouble outbidding them. And those tech grunt comp…

Yeah I suggested it because it seemed like a rather obvious solution. Now not sure if government is just incapable running an auction or there is an obvious flaw in it that I just couldn't see.

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

#139

Post by jbarham »

paul wrote: post #67
x0x0 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> Maybe you think that Sergey Brin and Paul Graham stole their jobs from some hard working, native born Americans.

Straw man. Sergey Brin didn't immigrate to the US, his parents did and he came along for the ride as a child.

Nobody begrudges the success of children of immigrants to the US (which by definition is everyone but the native Americans), but middle aged, unemployed American programmers may well resent companies that claim there is a shortage of programmers whilst stuffing their IT departments with foreign visa workers who won't rock the boat or ask for a raise because their continued residency in the US depends on employer sponsorship.

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

#140

Post by conover »

notastartup wrote: post #129

- B.C.'s tech industry has many exploitative employers - B.C.'s tech market is underpayed, below national average. - B.C.'s living cost on average exceeds the average salary. - B.C.'s high real estate cost results in many house poor population. - B.C.'s political party places far more labor rights on nurses and people cutting down trees. - B.C. has a problem of bleeding talent to other provinces because of above reas…

Partially agreed. I found Vancouver very lovely (Stanley Park is quite nice) yet very expensive (cost of living) and relatively low paying. I would need a company there to "sponsor" my visa (as an American) but I don't want to take an massive pay cut.
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