6 ms·

Considering the startup ecosystem in Canada, I fear much of that talent will be wasted. We really need to fix immigration laws to make recruiting foreign IT pr

Considering the startup ecosystem in Canada, I fear much of that talent will be wasted. We really need to fix immigration laws to make recruiting foreign IT professionals easier. The H1B system and the years of waiting is a disgrace.

Bombthecat 8y ago
Germany just opened up (alot) you just need to find a job and can you can stay. (in IT not that hard right now)
- konschubert 8y ago
  Oh, can you point me to more information about this?
  - Bombthecat 8y ago
    https://www.germany-visa.org/germanys-new-immigration-laws-open-door-for-skilled-labor/ https://www.germany-visa.org/germanys-new-immigration-laws-o... Here for example.
brianwawok 8y ago
H1Bs don’t work at startups. They work at BigCo doing Boring Stuff.
- wenc 8y ago
  The H-1B is a specialty occupation visa that spans more occupations than most people are aware. Most people associate it with IT workers, but many accountants, research scientists, engineers, and other professionals also hold H-1Bs. Where I work, it is the latter categories of professionals that dominate. Many of them have degrees from schools (e.g. MIT, CMU, etc.) much better than schools most of us went to. And yes, some of them work at startups. They usually start out with an OPT after graduating and then convert to an H-1B. IT worker and H-1B are not synonymous -- the former is a subset of the latter. It's unfortunate that the latter is used as shorthand for the former, and the two categories are conflated.
  - purple_ducks 8y ago
    > Many of them have degrees from schools (e.g. MIT, CMU, etc.) much better than schools most of us went to. Explain to me how a degree from schools "much better than schools most of us went to" indicates the person is more competent or intelligent than anyone else? "better" should be subbed out for "prestigious".
- kerneltime 8y ago
  Really.. tell me more! Startups don’t hire thousands and do not show up any Radars.. I know at least a few startups founded by folks needing H1B and know many more who work for startups..
- echevil 8y ago
  Well, one of the main reasons that they don't work at startups is that they need stability because of the broken immigration process. Similar to Indians, most Chinese tech workers here choose to join big companies, but Chinese tech workers in China are creating tons of startups.
- throwawaymjabba 8y ago
  I had quite a few of my Indian friends who did MS in US, joined an Indian company, and jumped ship to start ups within 1-2 years.
- zaptheimpaler 8y ago
  I worked almost exclusively at startups under an H1B in SV and know many many others. A company pays something like $5K for the legal services and fees to hire an H1B, and under normal political circumstances they receive the initial docs that lets the employee start working in 2-4 weeks. There is really no reason H1Bs wouldn't work at startups (and they do)
- gumby 8y ago
  I have hired plenty of h1bs at various startups I’ve worked on. It’s a lot more expensive and time considering than hiring someone local but sometimes you have no choice, either because they have some special skill or because you’ve exhausted all alternatives.
  - jamisteven 8y ago
    Or because you dont have the budget to pay the required salary demanded by native workers with that skillset.
    - gumby 8y ago
      You have to demonstrate that you’re paying the foreigner at least as much as you’d pay a us person and file it with the government. And advertisenthe job and interview anyone who responds (wenof course have been interviewing already and have considered the horrible hassles ofnthe h1 only because that’s been unsuccessful). And wait for the paperwork to go through. Believe me it’s an expensive last resort.
    - AYBABTME 8y ago
      You've got an axe to grind? Everyone I know who works on an H1B makes as much, if not more, money than "native workers".
    - mavelikara 8y ago
      Not OP, but hiring manager at a SV startup. For all positions we interview for, we get applications from citizens, GC holders, and H-1Bs. We hire the best candidate from among the applicants applied for that position. Two engineers started this Monday - an iOS specialist, and an Operations engineer. One is a citizen, and one is on H-1B. We pay both engineers according to the firm's salary bands for those respective positions. > Or because you dont have the budget to pay the required salary demanded by native workers with that skillset. So what you insinuate is possible, but not always the case.
- mavelikara 8y ago
  Most engineers - H-1Bs, GC holders and citizens - don't work at startups; they work at BigCo doing Boring Stuff. If you go to any startup event in the Bay Area, you will see plenty of engineers on H-1Bs. Or browse one of the "Who's Hiring" threads here to notice that many startups provide for H-1B transfers.
apercu 8y ago
> Considering the startup ecosystem in Canada, I fear much of that talent will be wasted. Can you expand on this thought?
taobility 8y ago
Interesting, why USA needs to recruiting foreign IT professionals easier? Why the other countries don't have such concern? The right way shouldn't be improve the STEM education to provide more qualify new graduates?

Bombthecat 8y ago

Germany just opened up (alot) you just need to find a job and can you can stay. (in IT not that hard right now)

konschubert 8y ago
Oh, can you point me to more information about this?
- Bombthecat 8y ago
  https://www.germany-visa.org/germanys-new-immigration-laws-open-door-for-skilled-labor/ https://www.germany-visa.org/germanys-new-immigration-laws-o... Here for example.

brianwawok 8y ago

H1Bs don’t work at startups. They work at BigCo doing Boring Stuff.

wenc 8y ago
The H-1B is a specialty occupation visa that spans more occupations than most people are aware. Most people associate it with IT workers, but many accountants, research scientists, engineers, and other professionals also hold H-1Bs. Where I work, it is the latter categories of professionals that dominate. Many of them have degrees from schools (e.g. MIT, CMU, etc.) much better than schools most of us went to. And yes, some of them work at startups. They usually start out with an OPT after graduating and then convert to an H-1B. IT worker and H-1B are not synonymous -- the former is a subset of the latter. It's unfortunate that the latter is used as shorthand for the former, and the two categories are conflated.
- purple_ducks 8y ago
  > Many of them have degrees from schools (e.g. MIT, CMU, etc.) much better than schools most of us went to. Explain to me how a degree from schools "much better than schools most of us went to" indicates the person is more competent or intelligent than anyone else? "better" should be subbed out for "prestigious".
kerneltime 8y ago
Really.. tell me more! Startups don’t hire thousands and do not show up any Radars.. I know at least a few startups founded by folks needing H1B and know many more who work for startups..
echevil 8y ago
Well, one of the main reasons that they don't work at startups is that they need stability because of the broken immigration process. Similar to Indians, most Chinese tech workers here choose to join big companies, but Chinese tech workers in China are creating tons of startups.
throwawaymjabba 8y ago
I had quite a few of my Indian friends who did MS in US, joined an Indian company, and jumped ship to start ups within 1-2 years.
zaptheimpaler 8y ago
I worked almost exclusively at startups under an H1B in SV and know many many others. A company pays something like $5K for the legal services and fees to hire an H1B, and under normal political circumstances they receive the initial docs that lets the employee start working in 2-4 weeks. There is really no reason H1Bs wouldn't work at startups (and they do)
gumby 8y ago
I have hired plenty of h1bs at various startups I’ve worked on. It’s a lot more expensive and time considering than hiring someone local but sometimes you have no choice, either because they have some special skill or because you’ve exhausted all alternatives.
- jamisteven 8y ago
  Or because you dont have the budget to pay the required salary demanded by native workers with that skillset.
  - gumby 8y ago
    You have to demonstrate that you’re paying the foreigner at least as much as you’d pay a us person and file it with the government. And advertisenthe job and interview anyone who responds (wenof course have been interviewing already and have considered the horrible hassles ofnthe h1 only because that’s been unsuccessful). And wait for the paperwork to go through. Believe me it’s an expensive last resort.
  - AYBABTME 8y ago
    You've got an axe to grind? Everyone I know who works on an H1B makes as much, if not more, money than "native workers".
  - mavelikara 8y ago
    Not OP, but hiring manager at a SV startup. For all positions we interview for, we get applications from citizens, GC holders, and H-1Bs. We hire the best candidate from among the applicants applied for that position. Two engineers started this Monday - an iOS specialist, and an Operations engineer. One is a citizen, and one is on H-1B. We pay both engineers according to the firm's salary bands for those respective positions. > Or because you dont have the budget to pay the required salary demanded by native workers with that skillset. So what you insinuate is possible, but not always the case.
mavelikara 8y ago
Most engineers - H-1Bs, GC holders and citizens - don't work at startups; they work at BigCo doing Boring Stuff. If you go to any startup event in the Bay Area, you will see plenty of engineers on H-1Bs. Or browse one of the "Who's Hiring" threads here to notice that many startups provide for H-1B transfers.

apercu 8y ago

> Considering the startup ecosystem in Canada, I fear much of that talent will be wasted. Can you expand on this thought?

taobility 8y ago

Interesting, why USA needs to recruiting foreign IT professionals easier? Why the other countries don't have such concern? The right way shouldn't be improve the STEM education to provide more qualify new graduates?