5 ms·

I am Canadian and I've worked in tech in the USA for the last 5 years. I wish they made getting an H1B even harder to get.

trishume 9y ago
I don't see how that makes sense. Presumably if you've worked in the US for 5 years you'd like to stay there. Canadians often try for an H1B while they are on a TN because with an H1B you get immigrant intent and can apply for a green card. Canadians still have it easier since you can work on a TN and try the lottery many times.
- jpollock 9y ago
  The number of attempts to get on an H1-B is now exceeding the validity period of the initial TN visa, increasing the probability the TN will be rejected at the border. Immigration is starting to reject renewals - ref Canadian nurses working in Detroit [1]. I have family members who are being refused TNs. Personally, I get worried crossing the border and I'm on an H1-B. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-nurses-working-in-us-rejected-1.4026554 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-nurses-workin...
znpy 9y ago
Can you elaborate on that?
- olympus 9y ago
  Not GP, but presumably making an H1B harder to get would decrease yazaddaruvala's competition for a job. I'll admit that this next thought is racist, but I think a lot of companies would prefer hiring a Canadian over someone from another country (assuming they have the same skill). Canada has a very similar culture to the USA and they usually speak English as their mother tongue.
  - ythn 9y ago
    I don't get why it's racist to not prefer Indians and Chinese H1Bs because of bad language skills. At my current company I can say with 100% confidence that the source of many bugs is bad communication in part because of Chinese H1B's misunderstanding w or x or failing to clearly communicate y or z.
    - olympus 9y ago
      Preferring one group of people over another based on the color of their skin or where they came from is pretty much the definition of racism, regardless of whether a stereotype about a particular person is true. I'm not saying my thought was controversial or even wrong (the thought being that predominately white Canadians fit in better with predominately white Americans), but I'll bet most HR people would deny that it has any influence on their hiring practice.
- jpollock 9y ago
  Canadians can enter and work on a TN visa, which has similar requirements to an H1-B. However, the number of visas granted is unlimited. They are renewed every time you cross the border, and can be rejected for any reason. They're very temporary and you end up feeling worried crossing the border. It explicitly does not allow a path to citizenship, so you have to transfer to an H1-B to get a green card. If your intent is to attempt to get a green card, you are in direct violation of a TN visa and can be deported. Unlike those jammy Australian bastards (they get a visa that looks like an L1! So jealous), spouses cannot work on the TD (visa for partners/dependents of TN holders). This means your partner cannot work if you're on a TN until you first transfer to a H1-B and then transfer again to a green card. For a Canadian, the process is probably 2-3 years to get an H1B, and then another 2 years to get the green card. Reducing the competition for an H1-B will reduce the length of time spent in the first step of this process. Indians and Chinese people have it much, much worse. The length of time after their green card approval to when they are granted one is quite literally measured in decades. The inability for spouses to work causes a lot of stress on relationships. Spouses get depressed, angry and feel a complete loss of independence. They no longer have a career nor their "own" money.
  - stevenwoo 9y ago
    I'm ignorant of the current rules but what are the equivalent limits if any on US citizens going to work in Canada?
  - thriftwy 9y ago
    > spouses cannot work on the TD If they're canadian, why don't they just get their own TN?
    - jpollock 9y ago
      Well, my partner's not Canadian, so they can't get a TN. This problem would also affect Canadian partners without university degrees, a good moderate indicator of TN eligibility. However, the ability for spouses to work also affects all H1-B holders, and they're a much, much larger group for a much longer period of time.
sjg007 9y ago
There are quotas by country which is why it’s easier to get one as a Canadian. Harder if you are Chinese or Indian.
- Antrikshy 9y ago
  I don't think this is true. There are per-country queues for permanent residence.

trishume 9y ago

I don't see how that makes sense. Presumably if you've worked in the US for 5 years you'd like to stay there. Canadians often try for an H1B while they are on a TN because with an H1B you get immigrant intent and can apply for a green card. Canadians still have it easier since you can work on a TN and try the lottery many times.

jpollock 9y ago
The number of attempts to get on an H1-B is now exceeding the validity period of the initial TN visa, increasing the probability the TN will be rejected at the border. Immigration is starting to reject renewals - ref Canadian nurses working in Detroit [1]. I have family members who are being refused TNs. Personally, I get worried crossing the border and I'm on an H1-B. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-nurses-working-in-us-rejected-1.4026554 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-nurses-workin...

znpy 9y ago

Can you elaborate on that?

olympus 9y ago
Not GP, but presumably making an H1B harder to get would decrease yazaddaruvala's competition for a job. I'll admit that this next thought is racist, but I think a lot of companies would prefer hiring a Canadian over someone from another country (assuming they have the same skill). Canada has a very similar culture to the USA and they usually speak English as their mother tongue.
- ythn 9y ago
  I don't get why it's racist to not prefer Indians and Chinese H1Bs because of bad language skills. At my current company I can say with 100% confidence that the source of many bugs is bad communication in part because of Chinese H1B's misunderstanding w or x or failing to clearly communicate y or z.
  - olympus 9y ago
    Preferring one group of people over another based on the color of their skin or where they came from is pretty much the definition of racism, regardless of whether a stereotype about a particular person is true. I'm not saying my thought was controversial or even wrong (the thought being that predominately white Canadians fit in better with predominately white Americans), but I'll bet most HR people would deny that it has any influence on their hiring practice.
jpollock 9y ago
Canadians can enter and work on a TN visa, which has similar requirements to an H1-B. However, the number of visas granted is unlimited. They are renewed every time you cross the border, and can be rejected for any reason. They're very temporary and you end up feeling worried crossing the border. It explicitly does not allow a path to citizenship, so you have to transfer to an H1-B to get a green card. If your intent is to attempt to get a green card, you are in direct violation of a TN visa and can be deported. Unlike those jammy Australian bastards (they get a visa that looks like an L1! So jealous), spouses cannot work on the TD (visa for partners/dependents of TN holders). This means your partner cannot work if you're on a TN until you first transfer to a H1-B and then transfer again to a green card. For a Canadian, the process is probably 2-3 years to get an H1B, and then another 2 years to get the green card. Reducing the competition for an H1-B will reduce the length of time spent in the first step of this process. Indians and Chinese people have it much, much worse. The length of time after their green card approval to when they are granted one is quite literally measured in decades. The inability for spouses to work causes a lot of stress on relationships. Spouses get depressed, angry and feel a complete loss of independence. They no longer have a career nor their "own" money.
- stevenwoo 9y ago
  I'm ignorant of the current rules but what are the equivalent limits if any on US citizens going to work in Canada?
- thriftwy 9y ago
  > spouses cannot work on the TD If they're canadian, why don't they just get their own TN?
  - jpollock 9y ago
    Well, my partner's not Canadian, so they can't get a TN. This problem would also affect Canadian partners without university degrees, a good moderate indicator of TN eligibility. However, the ability for spouses to work also affects all H1-B holders, and they're a much, much larger group for a much longer period of time.

sjg007 9y ago

There are quotas by country which is why it’s easier to get one as a Canadian. Harder if you are Chinese or Indian.

Antrikshy 9y ago
I don't think this is true. There are per-country queues for permanent residence.