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Why Silicon Valley Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Returning Home

171 points by tomh- 16y ago

hello_moto 16y ago
I feel bad for criticizing this article because while I agree with the author, I feel that he needs to write something else at the same time. It's the same old thing he's been talking for ages.
- jmm 16y ago
  He had what could be considered a rough week with one of his other pet ideas... why Silicon Valley reigns supreme: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/03/whats_the_point_of_boston_vs_s.html http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/03/wh...
melling 16y ago
As an American I see this as a problem for America. However, there is a big upside to this. The rest of the world gets some of its talent back, which will help it develop faster. There are over 1 billion people in India, for example. They deserve to be more than a call center or a place to outsource for the US.
- geekam 16y ago
  Well put. But a lot of H1B workers also contribute to the economy here as said. It is the illegal immigration that makes things worse, not the legal ways of a small percentage of skilled workers. Also, H1B workers contribute to Social security and medicare , taxes etc. with most of them not expecting or making use of it.
- Aegean 16y ago
  I disagree. The rest of the world gets talent back at the cost of those talented individuals. You are one individual starting a startup and the government, the people, everybody is against you. You must own a strong corporation with R&D centers to be able to swim against that tide. It's not for individual entrepreneurs. I think this way because I have been through it and now closing down in my home country, moving to the U.S. How would you fix it? The leaders in those countries should fix it.
  - queensnake 16y ago
    They should be honored to be pioneers, bringing their country up to speed.
jmm 16y ago
The article is a basically a video re-cap, without much added insight. If you're gonna get to the bottom of the article and watch the videos anyway, just skip right to it and watch the videos from the git-go.
shiven 16y ago
This is true not just for SV but also the biotech/pharma R&D sector. I personally know people who have already moved out of the US to places like Singapore and India, and are doing way better in terms of peace-of-mind, moving ahead with their lives, having kids, putting down roots etc. On the other hand, I know a few others who are much like nomads within the US, moving from job to job just to keep their H1-B visa status valid. The biggest threat for them has not been joblessness but the threat of deportation if they do not land a new job within the ridiculously low time span exceeding which would put their legal status in jeopardy. <cynical>It appears that the US citizens and their government just do not give a damn about any of this.</cynical> It is only in the last 12-18 months that some murmurs are being heard in the MSM in this regard. I have to wonder: the US taxpayers financed this advanced education, almost entirely in case of Bio/Pharma PhD programs, and then to throw out (literally) all that investment out the door makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! My time is coming soon... I am very apprehensive as to what the future and this country has in store for me. :-/ :-)
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- tokenadult 16y ago
  I personally know people who have already moved out of the US to places like Singapore and India May I ask some follow-up questions to make sure I understand your point of view on this issue? Are you referring to people who are originally from Singapore or India, or to people from third countries who settle in Singapore or India rather than settling in the United States? How does the number of those persons compare to the number of persons who stay in the United States after completing higher education? Aren't there official statistics about this? It appears from your post that you too come from another country and have studied in the United States. Why did you think originally that it was a good idea to study in the United States rather than in your country of citizenship? After edit: I have lived abroad myself, for two three-year stays in different decades in a country across an ocean from the United States. So I am always curious, as an American who left his country of birth, why people leave their country of birth and take on the challenge of living with new laws, perhaps a new language, noncitizen status at least at first, and perhaps new climate, food, and social customs too. What countries these days are best succeeding in attracting immigrants from all over the world? What example can those countries provide to countries that are less attractive to immigrants?
tokenadult 16y ago
Yet another Vivek Wadhwa story with his same pet theme. Here is my question: is there any Vivek Wadhwa story on this issue in which he shows detailed figures for NET immigration flows into and out of the United States in comparison to countries like China and India? Or does he consistently do as I have seen him do here and in other stories, relating individual anecdotes and asserting the existence of a problem (too few high-skill immigrants to the United States from India or from China) that may not actually exist? What do other authors have to say about this subject? And, by the way, what countries offer better opportunities for immigration to found start-up businesses for young people from India and China than the United States offers? What are those countries' rules about immigration? Do young people from African countries also find it easy to emigrate to those other countries? Can anyone from anywhere in the world settle in any European Union country to found a start-up high-tech business? Is it possible for foreigners to settle in China or in India to found start-up businesses? What visa rules apply to cases like that?
- jseliger 16y ago
  in which he shows detailed figures for NET immigration flows into and out of the United States in comparison to countries like China and India? Funny, I was just coming to the comments page to say exactly this. The linked post is conspicuous for its lack of words like "study" or "statistics." Talking to a couple of random people does not qualify a trend that stretches to millions of people. It's pretty obvious that the U.S. immigration system is fucked up and should be much improved. But you can't jump from that to the conclusion that so many immigrants are going home as to affect Silicon Valley.
  - arvinjoar 16y ago
    That's the thing, it doesn't have to affect a lot of people to be a big problem. Founders are pretty valuable, keeping even a small number of them out with artificial barriers is bad thing, since the alternative (letting them in) does not seem that daunting (unless you fear foreign founders for some reason).
- mcn 16y ago
  You can find his more data-focused writing here -- http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=738704 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=7387...
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
robot 16y ago
I am about to move to mountain view to create an american presence for my startup. This is simply because the rest of the world is way behind in adoption of new technology and helping entrepreneurs. But the visa issue is an exception to this forward thinking attitude. Still, I will do my best to keep up a US presence because it is quite worth it.
trotsky 16y ago
While the tax and jobs benefits are there, I'm not sure it's that big a deal. IT companies create less jobs per revenue dollar than traditional industries, do their manufacturing in asia and shift significant operations to overseas tax havens when they get big. It's not that I'm saying the US doesn't benefit from high tech startups, just that the effect is somewhat muted. On the other hand, with such a majority of the world's service providers concentrated in just a few west coast cities I think there are some risks for the global Internet. What if someday we all found out that facebook, twitter and google were all collaborating with the government in a massive warrantless wiretap program ala AT&T et al. Wouldn't you be happier knowing there were some viable competitors out there based in .au .tw .ch .in etc? Is it possible that would have prevented it from happening to begin with? I'm not saying that's likely, but clearly there could be some benefits to a more politically and physically distributed infrastructure. What happens to the world if the US triggers their Internet kill switch? A lot more than when .ly did presumably. What if the world misses out on the next big thing because of the tight knit group think that exists in the bay area capital scene? Mother of all earthquakes? State government collapses? Dirty bomb? I'm not saying I'd bet on any of those happening, or that SV isn't a good place to start a tech firm, or that anyone should pack up and leave. Just that I wouldn't shed many tears if I saw more of http://thenextsocialhotness.eu/ http://thenextsocialhotness.eu/ Monocultures can be pretty fragile when exposed to a brand new threat.
- PakG1 16y ago
  The biggest impact that tech companies provide to the economy is increasing productivity and creating new industries. IBM, Microsoft, and Apple's contributions to creating the first personal computers when they started up created an entirely new segment of the IT industry that hadn't even been conceptualized before. As time passed, there were millions of people getting jobs as technicians, programmers, system administrators, and service providers. Cisco, Sun Microsystems, and Netscape enabled the Internet to be a viable platform and communication medium. You had even more jobs created: more programmers, web developers, web designers, and service providers. Google did their thing and revolutionized how people could monetize things on the Internet, and how people could get their websites, products, and services discovered. It`s pretty much because of them that many websites became viable businesses, to say nothing of how SEO also became an industry in its own right. Now see Facebook, Twitter, Android (acquired by Google in 2005; if you want, you can throw Apple's iPhone group in there too, though by this time, they can no longer be counted as a startup). They've created social media ad agencies, app developer economic microcosms, and so on. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. The benefit that tech companies create is not from direct employment. It`s from overall worldwide productivity gains and creation of new industries. And if it happens in your home nation first, you get a head start to ride the wave before the wave really takes hold in other nations.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
marze 16y ago
America has a lot of cute women. (hint)
ireadzalot 16y ago
People with marketable skills and talents will eventually move to destinations that will favor them best. In the past and up to now, it has been the US. Tomorrow it could be Brazil, India, China etc. One of the best things about working in hi-tech sector is borders do not necessarily limit your potential to implement your ideas. Governments have the option to decide how welcoming they want to be.
moblivu 16y ago
The problem is how difficult it is to start a startup somewhere else. Only the US has the investor power and mentality about it. Try finding an investor here in Canada or even a VC or Angel that knows the potential of the web..... of course there are, but the USA, especially Silicon Valley, is THE place to be!
ajays 16y ago
I have stopped reading what Vivek writes. It almost feels like he's writing inflammatory articles just to keep his name in print. I came to this country (US) more than 20 years ago. The I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) were as big dicks then as they are now. Nothing has changed. It's just plain old government bureaucracy; but in this instance, their clients can't vote either, so there's no fear of a backlash. And yet, despite the INS's dickitude, the country churns out startups like crazy. Why did the founder of Chatroulette move here, instead of China or India? I'll give you why: pound for pound, it is way easier to come to America, register your startup and get rolling than in any other country, bar none. (Aside: do read DeSoto's "The Mystery of Capital" if you get a chance). Heck, why is Vivek Wadhwa in this country? Why isn't he in India, if things are so great there? I'll tell you why: because when all is said and done, there is NO country on earth as welcoming and safe for immigrants as the USA, bar none. I have friends who've gone back to India. Most of them went for a variety of reasons; chiefly among them being family. And I also know some who went back because their H1B visas expired; but you know what? It is good to see that. Just like seeds from a flower spread far and wide with the wind, I hope the seeds of entrepreneurship spread far and wide; the world needs more entrepreneurs. Silicon Valley has more than enough.
- recoiledsnake 16y ago
  >I came to this country (US) more than 20 years ago. The I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) were as big dicks then as they are now. Okay... so...? Did you wait 10 years for a Green Card while in immigration limbo? Do you even know the difference between then and now? >And yet, despite the INS's dickitude, the country churns out startups like crazy. So enough is enough? Will more hurt, esp with 10% unemployment? Maybe we should shutdown some VCs as well, since there are enough startups. AFAIK the Chatroulette founder was on a temp visa and was exploring options for a longer term visa. Can you reference how he 'moved' here? >And I also know some who went back because their H1B visas expired; but you know what? It is good to see that. Just like seeds from a flower spread far and wide with the wind, I hope the seeds of entrepreneurship spread far and wide; the worlds needs more entrepreneurs. Silicon Valley has more than enough. Your argument doesn't make sense. According to you the US/Silicon Valley is the best place to breed startups.. but you want the potential founders to go elsewhere where they might not have the best chances. Does not compute.
csomar 16y ago
Heck, I always wonder if the USA immigration system is broken (past and now) how the hell is 50% of Silicon Valleys big companies are founded by immigrants. And if they are so, and it's a good thing, then why change it? It already proved that it works.
queensnake 16y ago
Enh, his motives may not be what they seem: "I was one of the first to outsource software development to Russia in the early '90s. I was one of the first to use H-1B visas to bring workers to the U.S.A.," Wadhwa says. "Why did I do that? Because it was cheaper." from here: http://www.cio.co.uk/article/527/the-next-wave-of-globalisation-offshoring-rd-to-india-and-china http://www.cio.co.uk/article/527/the-next-wave-of-globalisat...
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
lyudmil 16y ago
I became an adult in the States - studying than working for a total of six years. I absolutely share the frustration with the visa laws, but I don't think the economic argument holds much water. Yes, startups create jobs, but just like all other small businesses, they lose a lot of jobs as well because of a high failure rate. You certainly want to give people the opportunity to start companies, but it isn't at all clear that you're actually boosting the economy significantly by making it easier to start a new business. Additionally, making visas available for foreign entrepreneurs opens up the market for more trade, which would certainly mean downwards pressure for salaries, which would decrease demand. To cancel that out, you'd need to make an argument that you'll make that money up through increased market efficiency - certainly tech products will cost less if the people making them have lower salaries. However, I'm not sure that most households or businesses spend that much on tech. There are certainly less efficient economic sectors (health care topping that list). In fact, most price anomalies in the technology sector are due to copyright and patent laws, so if you really wanted to increase efficiency you'd tackle that instead. Finally, there's the talent-drain on countries like India and China if such laws were passed. Training an engineer is expensive and you don't want large parts of that investment to just vanish into other markets. I don't claim to have this figured out, but my bet is India, China, and the other growing economies rely heavily on their engineers to sustain their growth. If they begin to stagnate the whole world will suffer economically, and the States in particular given their exposure to these economies. So, yes, personally I would love the visa laws to change. Would I take advantage? Absolutely. Would it drive the American economy? Probably not.
georgieporgie 16y ago
Having looked into emigration from the US, I am under the impression that, by comparison to other developed nations, we have wonderful immigration policies.
gcb 16y ago
US cons: - imigration US pros: - open a company with one phone call to IRS - get funding is feasible - most companies will deal with you (e.g. app store) non-US pros: - easy to get visa - health care :) non-US cons: - a full month of bureaucracy to open a company. - some three months to close it. more if you ever had any employee - funding? hahahaha
metageek 16y ago
>They mistakenly believe that skilled immigrants take American jobs away. The opposite is true: skilled immigrants start the majority of Silicon Valley startups; they create jobs. This is relevant only if you assume that no native would have started a competing startup.
tangentile 16y ago
15-year US resident here. Got my Green Card after 7 years. Was transferred to London and came back to US as Multi-National Manager. Got my GC within 6 months of application (i.e applied after 6.5 years) . One thing I want to share is that, if you wanted to start a company on H1 / L1, it is fine and there are very few restrictions. You might have to do it part time and declare it to your employer and INS, and you cannot sponsor your own GC etc. And how many H1 / L1 holders really want to start a company on their own? I doubt if the numbers are sizeable. Even if you are raving to start a company tomorrow on a H1 / L1, what is the problem with tying up with a local GC or Citizen and register a company? I am not being cheeky, just trying to understand where the pain points are.
connectture 16y ago
Have a look at this video - its an interview with Entrepreneurs and the issues many of them encounter in the US. Its called 'Starting Up In America' http://bit.ly/f1tqlX http://bit.ly/f1tqlX

171 points by tomh- 16y ago

I feel bad for criticizing this article because while I agree with the author, I feel that he needs to write something else at the same time. It's the same old thing he's been talking for ages.

jmm 16y ago
He had what could be considered a rough week with one of his other pet ideas... why Silicon Valley reigns supreme: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/03/whats_the_point_of_boston_vs_s.html http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/03/wh...

melling 16y ago

As an American I see this as a problem for America. However, there is a big upside to this. The rest of the world gets some of its talent back, which will help it develop faster. There are over 1 billion people in India, for example. They deserve to be more than a call center or a place to outsource for the US.

geekam 16y ago
Well put. But a lot of H1B workers also contribute to the economy here as said. It is the illegal immigration that makes things worse, not the legal ways of a small percentage of skilled workers. Also, H1B workers contribute to Social security and medicare , taxes etc. with most of them not expecting or making use of it.
Aegean 16y ago
I disagree. The rest of the world gets talent back at the cost of those talented individuals. You are one individual starting a startup and the government, the people, everybody is against you. You must own a strong corporation with R&D centers to be able to swim against that tide. It's not for individual entrepreneurs. I think this way because I have been through it and now closing down in my home country, moving to the U.S. How would you fix it? The leaders in those countries should fix it.
- queensnake 16y ago
  They should be honored to be pioneers, bringing their country up to speed.

jmm 16y ago

The article is a basically a video re-cap, without much added insight. If you're gonna get to the bottom of the article and watch the videos anyway, just skip right to it and watch the videos from the git-go.

shiven 16y ago

This is true not just for SV but also the biotech/pharma R&D sector. I personally know people who have already moved out of the US to places like Singapore and India, and are doing way better in terms of peace-of-mind, moving ahead with their lives, having kids, putting down roots etc. On the other hand, I know a few others who are much like nomads within the US, moving from job to job just to keep their H1-B visa status valid. The biggest threat for them has not been joblessness but the threat of deportation if they do not land a new job within the ridiculously low time span exceeding which would put their legal status in jeopardy. <cynical>It appears that the US citizens and their government just do not give a damn about any of this.</cynical> It is only in the last 12-18 months that some murmurs are being heard in the MSM in this regard. I have to wonder: the US taxpayers financed this advanced education, almost entirely in case of Bio/Pharma PhD programs, and then to throw out (literally) all that investment out the door makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! My time is coming soon... I am very apprehensive as to what the future and this country has in store for me. :-/ :-)

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
tokenadult 16y ago
I personally know people who have already moved out of the US to places like Singapore and India May I ask some follow-up questions to make sure I understand your point of view on this issue? Are you referring to people who are originally from Singapore or India, or to people from third countries who settle in Singapore or India rather than settling in the United States? How does the number of those persons compare to the number of persons who stay in the United States after completing higher education? Aren't there official statistics about this? It appears from your post that you too come from another country and have studied in the United States. Why did you think originally that it was a good idea to study in the United States rather than in your country of citizenship? After edit: I have lived abroad myself, for two three-year stays in different decades in a country across an ocean from the United States. So I am always curious, as an American who left his country of birth, why people leave their country of birth and take on the challenge of living with new laws, perhaps a new language, noncitizen status at least at first, and perhaps new climate, food, and social customs too. What countries these days are best succeeding in attracting immigrants from all over the world? What example can those countries provide to countries that are less attractive to immigrants?

tokenadult 16y ago

Yet another Vivek Wadhwa story with his same pet theme. Here is my question: is there any Vivek Wadhwa story on this issue in which he shows detailed figures for NET immigration flows into and out of the United States in comparison to countries like China and India? Or does he consistently do as I have seen him do here and in other stories, relating individual anecdotes and asserting the existence of a problem (too few high-skill immigrants to the United States from India or from China) that may not actually exist? What do other authors have to say about this subject? And, by the way, what countries offer better opportunities for immigration to found start-up businesses for young people from India and China than the United States offers? What are those countries' rules about immigration? Do young people from African countries also find it easy to emigrate to those other countries? Can anyone from anywhere in the world settle in any European Union country to found a start-up high-tech business? Is it possible for foreigners to settle in China or in India to found start-up businesses? What visa rules apply to cases like that?

jseliger 16y ago
in which he shows detailed figures for NET immigration flows into and out of the United States in comparison to countries like China and India? Funny, I was just coming to the comments page to say exactly this. The linked post is conspicuous for its lack of words like "study" or "statistics." Talking to a couple of random people does not qualify a trend that stretches to millions of people. It's pretty obvious that the U.S. immigration system is fucked up and should be much improved. But you can't jump from that to the conclusion that so many immigrants are going home as to affect Silicon Valley.
- arvinjoar 16y ago
  That's the thing, it doesn't have to affect a lot of people to be a big problem. Founders are pretty valuable, keeping even a small number of them out with artificial barriers is bad thing, since the alternative (letting them in) does not seem that daunting (unless you fear foreign founders for some reason).
mcn 16y ago
You can find his more data-focused writing here -- http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=738704 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=7387...

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

robot 16y ago

I am about to move to mountain view to create an american presence for my startup. This is simply because the rest of the world is way behind in adoption of new technology and helping entrepreneurs. But the visa issue is an exception to this forward thinking attitude. Still, I will do my best to keep up a US presence because it is quite worth it.

trotsky 16y ago

While the tax and jobs benefits are there, I'm not sure it's that big a deal. IT companies create less jobs per revenue dollar than traditional industries, do their manufacturing in asia and shift significant operations to overseas tax havens when they get big. It's not that I'm saying the US doesn't benefit from high tech startups, just that the effect is somewhat muted. On the other hand, with such a majority of the world's service providers concentrated in just a few west coast cities I think there are some risks for the global Internet. What if someday we all found out that facebook, twitter and google were all collaborating with the government in a massive warrantless wiretap program ala AT&T et al. Wouldn't you be happier knowing there were some viable competitors out there based in .au .tw .ch .in etc? Is it possible that would have prevented it from happening to begin with? I'm not saying that's likely, but clearly there could be some benefits to a more politically and physically distributed infrastructure. What happens to the world if the US triggers their Internet kill switch? A lot more than when .ly did presumably. What if the world misses out on the next big thing because of the tight knit group think that exists in the bay area capital scene? Mother of all earthquakes? State government collapses? Dirty bomb? I'm not saying I'd bet on any of those happening, or that SV isn't a good place to start a tech firm, or that anyone should pack up and leave. Just that I wouldn't shed many tears if I saw more of http://thenextsocialhotness.eu/ http://thenextsocialhotness.eu/ Monocultures can be pretty fragile when exposed to a brand new threat.

PakG1 16y ago
The biggest impact that tech companies provide to the economy is increasing productivity and creating new industries. IBM, Microsoft, and Apple's contributions to creating the first personal computers when they started up created an entirely new segment of the IT industry that hadn't even been conceptualized before. As time passed, there were millions of people getting jobs as technicians, programmers, system administrators, and service providers. Cisco, Sun Microsystems, and Netscape enabled the Internet to be a viable platform and communication medium. You had even more jobs created: more programmers, web developers, web designers, and service providers. Google did their thing and revolutionized how people could monetize things on the Internet, and how people could get their websites, products, and services discovered. It`s pretty much because of them that many websites became viable businesses, to say nothing of how SEO also became an industry in its own right. Now see Facebook, Twitter, Android (acquired by Google in 2005; if you want, you can throw Apple's iPhone group in there too, though by this time, they can no longer be counted as a startup). They've created social media ad agencies, app developer economic microcosms, and so on. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. The benefit that tech companies create is not from direct employment. It`s from overall worldwide productivity gains and creation of new industries. And if it happens in your home nation first, you get a head start to ride the wave before the wave really takes hold in other nations.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

marze 16y ago

America has a lot of cute women. (hint)

ireadzalot 16y ago

People with marketable skills and talents will eventually move to destinations that will favor them best. In the past and up to now, it has been the US. Tomorrow it could be Brazil, India, China etc. One of the best things about working in hi-tech sector is borders do not necessarily limit your potential to implement your ideas. Governments have the option to decide how welcoming they want to be.

moblivu 16y ago

The problem is how difficult it is to start a startup somewhere else. Only the US has the investor power and mentality about it. Try finding an investor here in Canada or even a VC or Angel that knows the potential of the web..... of course there are, but the USA, especially Silicon Valley, is THE place to be!

ajays 16y ago

I have stopped reading what Vivek writes. It almost feels like he's writing inflammatory articles just to keep his name in print. I came to this country (US) more than 20 years ago. The I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) were as big dicks then as they are now. Nothing has changed. It's just plain old government bureaucracy; but in this instance, their clients can't vote either, so there's no fear of a backlash. And yet, despite the INS's dickitude, the country churns out startups like crazy. Why did the founder of Chatroulette move here, instead of China or India? I'll give you why: pound for pound, it is way easier to come to America, register your startup and get rolling than in any other country, bar none. (Aside: do read DeSoto's "The Mystery of Capital" if you get a chance). Heck, why is Vivek Wadhwa in this country? Why isn't he in India, if things are so great there? I'll tell you why: because when all is said and done, there is NO country on earth as welcoming and safe for immigrants as the USA, bar none. I have friends who've gone back to India. Most of them went for a variety of reasons; chiefly among them being family. And I also know some who went back because their H1B visas expired; but you know what? It is good to see that. Just like seeds from a flower spread far and wide with the wind, I hope the seeds of entrepreneurship spread far and wide; the world needs more entrepreneurs. Silicon Valley has more than enough.

recoiledsnake 16y ago
>I came to this country (US) more than 20 years ago. The I.N.S. (Immigration and Naturalization Service) were as big dicks then as they are now. Okay... so...? Did you wait 10 years for a Green Card while in immigration limbo? Do you even know the difference between then and now? >And yet, despite the INS's dickitude, the country churns out startups like crazy. So enough is enough? Will more hurt, esp with 10% unemployment? Maybe we should shutdown some VCs as well, since there are enough startups. AFAIK the Chatroulette founder was on a temp visa and was exploring options for a longer term visa. Can you reference how he 'moved' here? >And I also know some who went back because their H1B visas expired; but you know what? It is good to see that. Just like seeds from a flower spread far and wide with the wind, I hope the seeds of entrepreneurship spread far and wide; the worlds needs more entrepreneurs. Silicon Valley has more than enough. Your argument doesn't make sense. According to you the US/Silicon Valley is the best place to breed startups.. but you want the potential founders to go elsewhere where they might not have the best chances. Does not compute.

csomar 16y ago

Heck, I always wonder if the USA immigration system is broken (past and now) how the hell is 50% of Silicon Valleys big companies are founded by immigrants. And if they are so, and it's a good thing, then why change it? It already proved that it works.

queensnake 16y ago

Enh, his motives may not be what they seem: "I was one of the first to outsource software development to Russia in the early '90s. I was one of the first to use H-1B visas to bring workers to the U.S.A.," Wadhwa says. "Why did I do that? Because it was cheaper." from here: http://www.cio.co.uk/article/527/the-next-wave-of-globalisation-offshoring-rd-to-india-and-china http://www.cio.co.uk/article/527/the-next-wave-of-globalisat...

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

lyudmil 16y ago

I became an adult in the States - studying than working for a total of six years. I absolutely share the frustration with the visa laws, but I don't think the economic argument holds much water. Yes, startups create jobs, but just like all other small businesses, they lose a lot of jobs as well because of a high failure rate. You certainly want to give people the opportunity to start companies, but it isn't at all clear that you're actually boosting the economy significantly by making it easier to start a new business. Additionally, making visas available for foreign entrepreneurs opens up the market for more trade, which would certainly mean downwards pressure for salaries, which would decrease demand. To cancel that out, you'd need to make an argument that you'll make that money up through increased market efficiency - certainly tech products will cost less if the people making them have lower salaries. However, I'm not sure that most households or businesses spend that much on tech. There are certainly less efficient economic sectors (health care topping that list). In fact, most price anomalies in the technology sector are due to copyright and patent laws, so if you really wanted to increase efficiency you'd tackle that instead. Finally, there's the talent-drain on countries like India and China if such laws were passed. Training an engineer is expensive and you don't want large parts of that investment to just vanish into other markets. I don't claim to have this figured out, but my bet is India, China, and the other growing economies rely heavily on their engineers to sustain their growth. If they begin to stagnate the whole world will suffer economically, and the States in particular given their exposure to these economies. So, yes, personally I would love the visa laws to change. Would I take advantage? Absolutely. Would it drive the American economy? Probably not.

georgieporgie 16y ago

Having looked into emigration from the US, I am under the impression that, by comparison to other developed nations, we have wonderful immigration policies.

gcb 16y ago

US cons: - imigration US pros: - open a company with one phone call to IRS - get funding is feasible - most companies will deal with you (e.g. app store) non-US pros: - easy to get visa - health care :) non-US cons: - a full month of bureaucracy to open a company. - some three months to close it. more if you ever had any employee - funding? hahahaha

metageek 16y ago

>They mistakenly believe that skilled immigrants take American jobs away. The opposite is true: skilled immigrants start the majority of Silicon Valley startups; they create jobs. This is relevant only if you assume that no native would have started a competing startup.

tangentile 16y ago

15-year US resident here. Got my Green Card after 7 years. Was transferred to London and came back to US as Multi-National Manager. Got my GC within 6 months of application (i.e applied after 6.5 years) . One thing I want to share is that, if you wanted to start a company on H1 / L1, it is fine and there are very few restrictions. You might have to do it part time and declare it to your employer and INS, and you cannot sponsor your own GC etc. And how many H1 / L1 holders really want to start a company on their own? I doubt if the numbers are sizeable. Even if you are raving to start a company tomorrow on a H1 / L1, what is the problem with tying up with a local GC or Citizen and register a company? I am not being cheeky, just trying to understand where the pain points are.

connectture 16y ago

Have a look at this video - its an interview with Entrepreneurs and the issues many of them encounter in the US. Its called 'Starting Up In America' http://bit.ly/f1tqlX http://bit.ly/f1tqlX