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<From throwaway account to avoid leaking personal info> I feel so great for you! Finally, I am moving out. Enough dealing with the immigration crap here! I wa

<From throwaway account to avoid leaking personal info> I feel so great for you! Finally, I am moving out. Enough dealing with the immigration crap here! I waited for 8 years too. Didn't let immigration stall my career. Built a company, sold it to one of the top tech companies in Bay Area. Building another company to solve a really tough problem. But man it has been stressful! USCIS keeps getting hung up on technicality and makes it as difficult as possible to live here. Meanwhile I have paid millions in taxes in US. People who are in the lowest part of the value chain, will always find a loophole - there is too much money at stake and they don't have any other choice! Accomplished people will move out or stop coming! US, keep doing this and eventually H1B will be just be a tool for cheap labor! Best talent from India, doesn't come to US anymore! And most of who are still here will move out! I applied for EB-1. They need 3 criteria. Accepted 2 criteria (extra ordinary contribution to my field and leading role in organizations). They rejected the media and press criteria because most of the press about my company's acquisition, while mentioned me by name, was about the company and not me. And BTW I was Founder of the company and built it from scratch. In any other country, one of the criteria that they accepted would have been enough. If you are talented and from India, don't waste your life in US. Where ever you go, jobs will follow you. Move out as soon as you can! Good bye US!

rvo 9y ago
>I applied EB-1. They need 3 criteria. Accepted 2 criteria (extra ordinary contribution to my field and leading role in organizations). They rejected the media and press criteria because most of the press about my company's acquisition, while mentioned me by name, was about the company and not me. And BTW I was Founder of the company and built it from scratch. That is such BS. I was gonna try (I have some publications and stuff) but that's about it. Now I feel like I am rotting away here.
- wheretolive 9y ago
  Going for EB-1 has been one of the worst decisions of my life. I wasted 2 years collecting paper work, getting letters, wasting money and waiting! It really a luck thing. And if you have to go premium. You will find out sooner!
  - rvo 9y ago
    Lawyer adviced the same. Told me it was almost impossible for me to do EB-1 and it was all about luck. I don't really want to do that. It's just frustrating seeing people I went to school with years ago from other countries become greencard holders so quickly without even doing grad school or STEM.
    - wheretolive 9y ago
      It's not luck as in buying a lottery ticket. If the case is not strong and not well prepared - it will definitely get rejected. But if the case is really strong, and the petition is really strong - it's possible that you might get lucky and they might approve it. It depends on which officer did you get, which side of the bed they woke up and did they have a fight with their spouse recently! It really sucks!
  - kamaal 9y ago
    >>Going for EB-1 has been one of the worst decisions of my life. I wasted 2 years collecting paper work, getting letters, wasting money and waiting! Also depends on the company and the leverage you have with the manager in the company. Plenty of people from India have gotten GCs in that category in months after arriving to US. So yeah, Its luck by most means. Life is unfair, if its any consolation, think about this aspect of luck. There are likely more merit people in India who haven't even gotten as far as you. Is it unfair for them and their lives to be compared to you.
- anarazel 9y ago
  > That is such BS. I was gonna try (I have some publications and stuff) but that's about it. Now I feel like I am rotting away here. Don't get too disparaged by this example. It depends a lot on the individual reviewer. Yes, that sucks, but it also means that in many cases it's not as hard as the in the quoted case.
muninn_ 9y ago
Should we restrict immigration to high-skilled laborers then? Do you discuss this openly with social justice warriors in SF and VC? And I think instead of moving to Canada you should move back to India. Why not devote your skills to improving your own country if you’re so great?
- wheretolive 9y ago
  Not making it super difficult for high skilled, shouldn't mean restricting immigration to them. Your first line seems like an useless argument. I am not sure how you arrived at it. I want to prioritize being in the place, where I can be most effective as a human being and contribute back to the humanity. As a side effect of this I contribute back to the places, I care about. I donated to a school in my hometown (which as my as I love I can't move back to because it has power cuts for 22 hours a day in 120F summers). Send decent amount of USD to India and advise startup in Indian ecosystem. If at some point I feel that I can be most effective being in India, I would definitely go back!
  - muninn_ 9y ago
    Ok so Canada makes it easy for high-skilled while US makes it easy for low skilled. What’s the problem? Should we deport and restrict immigration unless you’re high skilled? The point is that the US is very forgiving and easy going with respect to immigration and everybody acts like we’re a bunch of Nazis. Newsflash, we have the most liberal immigration policy in the world. Try getting permanent residency in Japan, or Switzerland, or China and let me know how that goes. It’s only difficult because we have too many people that want to move here. And while I trust that you think you’re “giving back” to India, it’s easy to say you are while enjoying a nice cushy life in Canada. I don’t mean this to be personal but I’m really sick and tired of hearing people complain that the US is shitty wrt to immigration when we are not. Does any other country have Dreamers? Will Canada allow 11 million undocumented kids to become permanent citizens? Hell no. Would India? Japan? China? Korea? Germany? Brasil? Nope nope nope - you would be deported in a heartbeat. Why does Canada even make you fill out paperwork or have a point-based system if they are so liberal?
jgh 9y ago
I'm not nearly as successful as you but have similar frustrations with the US immigration system. I'm a co-founder of a company that has employed a couple dozen Americans for a few years now and decided to leave the US when it became clear there was basically no path for me to get a green card. Oh well.
- wheretolive 9y ago
  This sounds great! Congrats on cutting your losses!
vilhelm_s 9y ago
Notably, people who do not come from India or China can apply under EB-2 NIW instead of EB-1, so the requirements are lower. The spirit of the Chinese Exclusion Act lives on!
- wheretolive 9y ago
  EB-2 works under same priority order, whether NIW or not. Only benefit of NIW is that you don't need to do PERM (which is labor certification). So, EB-2 NIW - doesn't help people from India - because it is really easy to get a EB-2. I have 2 approved ones which are useless!
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
chapill 9y ago
>Meanwhile I have paid millions in taxes in US. If you had not been here, it's easy to argue a US citizen would have been doing that instead of you. >People who are in the lowest part of the value chain, will always find a loophole - there is too much money at stake and they don't have any other choice! >Accomplished people will move out or stop coming! The people who work with the regulations are bottom of the value chain, but you should receive special treatment because you're just so special and accomplished? Very insulting attitude you have. >Good bye US! Can't say I'm sad to hear you're leaving. Maybe you can tell us why you couldn't have just made your millions back in your home country?
- dang 9y ago
  The comment you're replying to was arguably uncivil on a divisive topic, which breaks the site guidelines. But you replied by crossing into personal attack, which is much worse. We ban accounts that do that, so please read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't do this again.
  - chapill 9y ago
    What part of my reply seems like a personal attack to you? Pointing out his unbecoming opinion of immigrants who follow the rules, or asking why he felt he needed to come here to begin with?
sprite 9y ago
It sounds like you might be in a position where EB-5 is an option. It does take a long time though (I just got my conditional green card and filed my I-526 3 years ago). It sucks that they wouldn't count your media mentions, sounds like you had bad luck with the reviewer.
- wheretolive 9y ago
  Does it take so long! When were you able to file your I-485 - so that you have EAD and AP
CodeSheikh 9y ago
It’s funny how people are criticizing USCIS here (not that it is not to be blamed for lacking) and not their fellow Indian men for running such consultancies in the first place and exploiting talent backhome and luring them here in hopes for green cards before they realize it’s close to impossible and by that time these consulatancies middle-men would have already milked them enough. Creating awareness among Indian backhome is first step in discouraging consultancies abusing them. US has always been an open market for anyone to come here, take advantage of it and make ones dreams come true. US educated Indians stuck in green card queue is not entirely because of USCIS ineptness but also Indian “consultants” clogging up the queue. It feels there should have been a separate visa category for these “consultants” altogether.
- wheretolive 9y ago
  It's the system which is enabling people to take advantage, and only system can fix it through changes in law! When the system allowed segregation, whom do you blame more - the system which allowed it or the general people who were taking advantage of it.
  - sheepmullet 9y ago
    > When the system allowed segregation, whom do you blame more That is easy - the people who were taking advantage of it. E.g. I have the right to be a racist dirtbag - but if I act like a racist dirtbag that is on me and not on the system.
farazbabar 9y ago
If you paid millions in taxes personally, then you have sufficient funds to qualify for investor/job creator visa (which in turn leads to a green card as well). I have family that were able to accomplish this with as little as 500K and 2 years, but depending on the scenario it can take as much as a couple million dollars (depending on location and nature of business). I am sure this is stuff your attorney must have explained to you so probably there is context I am missing here.
- wheretolive 9y ago
  The process is non-definitive. A few years after you invest the money, you get a provisional green card and if the 10 permanent jobs are created after 2 years from that point, you get a permanent Green Card. Too many ifs and buts. I thought EB-1 was more definitive and I felt that I was the right fit for it. However at this point I am kind of done!
FooBadDev 9y ago
Which country would you recommend a skilled immigrant go to in present day ?
shin_lao 9y ago
>I applied for EB-1. Did you use an immigration lawyer for that?

rvo 9y ago

>I applied EB-1. They need 3 criteria. Accepted 2 criteria (extra ordinary contribution to my field and leading role in organizations). They rejected the media and press criteria because most of the press about my company's acquisition, while mentioned me by name, was about the company and not me. And BTW I was Founder of the company and built it from scratch. That is such BS. I was gonna try (I have some publications and stuff) but that's about it. Now I feel like I am rotting away here.

wheretolive 9y ago
Going for EB-1 has been one of the worst decisions of my life. I wasted 2 years collecting paper work, getting letters, wasting money and waiting! It really a luck thing. And if you have to go premium. You will find out sooner!
- rvo 9y ago
  Lawyer adviced the same. Told me it was almost impossible for me to do EB-1 and it was all about luck. I don't really want to do that. It's just frustrating seeing people I went to school with years ago from other countries become greencard holders so quickly without even doing grad school or STEM.
  - wheretolive 9y ago
    It's not luck as in buying a lottery ticket. If the case is not strong and not well prepared - it will definitely get rejected. But if the case is really strong, and the petition is really strong - it's possible that you might get lucky and they might approve it. It depends on which officer did you get, which side of the bed they woke up and did they have a fight with their spouse recently! It really sucks!
- kamaal 9y ago
  >>Going for EB-1 has been one of the worst decisions of my life. I wasted 2 years collecting paper work, getting letters, wasting money and waiting! Also depends on the company and the leverage you have with the manager in the company. Plenty of people from India have gotten GCs in that category in months after arriving to US. So yeah, Its luck by most means. Life is unfair, if its any consolation, think about this aspect of luck. There are likely more merit people in India who haven't even gotten as far as you. Is it unfair for them and their lives to be compared to you.
anarazel 9y ago
> That is such BS. I was gonna try (I have some publications and stuff) but that's about it. Now I feel like I am rotting away here. Don't get too disparaged by this example. It depends a lot on the individual reviewer. Yes, that sucks, but it also means that in many cases it's not as hard as the in the quoted case.

muninn_ 9y ago

Should we restrict immigration to high-skilled laborers then? Do you discuss this openly with social justice warriors in SF and VC? And I think instead of moving to Canada you should move back to India. Why not devote your skills to improving your own country if you’re so great?

wheretolive 9y ago
Not making it super difficult for high skilled, shouldn't mean restricting immigration to them. Your first line seems like an useless argument. I am not sure how you arrived at it. I want to prioritize being in the place, where I can be most effective as a human being and contribute back to the humanity. As a side effect of this I contribute back to the places, I care about. I donated to a school in my hometown (which as my as I love I can't move back to because it has power cuts for 22 hours a day in 120F summers). Send decent amount of USD to India and advise startup in Indian ecosystem. If at some point I feel that I can be most effective being in India, I would definitely go back!
- muninn_ 9y ago
  Ok so Canada makes it easy for high-skilled while US makes it easy for low skilled. What’s the problem? Should we deport and restrict immigration unless you’re high skilled? The point is that the US is very forgiving and easy going with respect to immigration and everybody acts like we’re a bunch of Nazis. Newsflash, we have the most liberal immigration policy in the world. Try getting permanent residency in Japan, or Switzerland, or China and let me know how that goes. It’s only difficult because we have too many people that want to move here. And while I trust that you think you’re “giving back” to India, it’s easy to say you are while enjoying a nice cushy life in Canada. I don’t mean this to be personal but I’m really sick and tired of hearing people complain that the US is shitty wrt to immigration when we are not. Does any other country have Dreamers? Will Canada allow 11 million undocumented kids to become permanent citizens? Hell no. Would India? Japan? China? Korea? Germany? Brasil? Nope nope nope - you would be deported in a heartbeat. Why does Canada even make you fill out paperwork or have a point-based system if they are so liberal?

jgh 9y ago

I'm not nearly as successful as you but have similar frustrations with the US immigration system. I'm a co-founder of a company that has employed a couple dozen Americans for a few years now and decided to leave the US when it became clear there was basically no path for me to get a green card. Oh well.

wheretolive 9y ago
This sounds great! Congrats on cutting your losses!

vilhelm_s 9y ago

Notably, people who do not come from India or China can apply under EB-2 NIW instead of EB-1, so the requirements are lower. The spirit of the Chinese Exclusion Act lives on!

wheretolive 9y ago
EB-2 works under same priority order, whether NIW or not. Only benefit of NIW is that you don't need to do PERM (which is labor certification). So, EB-2 NIW - doesn't help people from India - because it is really easy to get a EB-2. I have 2 approved ones which are useless!
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

chapill 9y ago

>Meanwhile I have paid millions in taxes in US. If you had not been here, it's easy to argue a US citizen would have been doing that instead of you. >People who are in the lowest part of the value chain, will always find a loophole - there is too much money at stake and they don't have any other choice! >Accomplished people will move out or stop coming! The people who work with the regulations are bottom of the value chain, but you should receive special treatment because you're just so special and accomplished? Very insulting attitude you have. >Good bye US! Can't say I'm sad to hear you're leaving. Maybe you can tell us why you couldn't have just made your millions back in your home country?

dang 9y ago
The comment you're replying to was arguably uncivil on a divisive topic, which breaks the site guidelines. But you replied by crossing into personal attack, which is much worse. We ban accounts that do that, so please read https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and don't do this again.
- chapill 9y ago
  What part of my reply seems like a personal attack to you? Pointing out his unbecoming opinion of immigrants who follow the rules, or asking why he felt he needed to come here to begin with?

sprite 9y ago

It sounds like you might be in a position where EB-5 is an option. It does take a long time though (I just got my conditional green card and filed my I-526 3 years ago). It sucks that they wouldn't count your media mentions, sounds like you had bad luck with the reviewer.

wheretolive 9y ago
Does it take so long! When were you able to file your I-485 - so that you have EAD and AP

CodeSheikh 9y ago

It’s funny how people are criticizing USCIS here (not that it is not to be blamed for lacking) and not their fellow Indian men for running such consultancies in the first place and exploiting talent backhome and luring them here in hopes for green cards before they realize it’s close to impossible and by that time these consulatancies middle-men would have already milked them enough. Creating awareness among Indian backhome is first step in discouraging consultancies abusing them. US has always been an open market for anyone to come here, take advantage of it and make ones dreams come true. US educated Indians stuck in green card queue is not entirely because of USCIS ineptness but also Indian “consultants” clogging up the queue. It feels there should have been a separate visa category for these “consultants” altogether.

wheretolive 9y ago
It's the system which is enabling people to take advantage, and only system can fix it through changes in law! When the system allowed segregation, whom do you blame more - the system which allowed it or the general people who were taking advantage of it.
- sheepmullet 9y ago
  > When the system allowed segregation, whom do you blame more That is easy - the people who were taking advantage of it. E.g. I have the right to be a racist dirtbag - but if I act like a racist dirtbag that is on me and not on the system.

farazbabar 9y ago

If you paid millions in taxes personally, then you have sufficient funds to qualify for investor/job creator visa (which in turn leads to a green card as well). I have family that were able to accomplish this with as little as 500K and 2 years, but depending on the scenario it can take as much as a couple million dollars (depending on location and nature of business). I am sure this is stuff your attorney must have explained to you so probably there is context I am missing here.

wheretolive 9y ago
The process is non-definitive. A few years after you invest the money, you get a provisional green card and if the 10 permanent jobs are created after 2 years from that point, you get a permanent Green Card. Too many ifs and buts. I thought EB-1 was more definitive and I felt that I was the right fit for it. However at this point I am kind of done!

FooBadDev 9y ago

Which country would you recommend a skilled immigrant go to in present day ?

shin_lao 9y ago

>I applied for EB-1. Did you use an immigration lawyer for that?