4 ms·

Why is everyone super interested in moving people from another country to the United States for work? It feels like in the Software world you should be able to

by jppope 3y ago

Why is everyone super interested in moving people from another country to the United States for work? It feels like in the Software world you should be able to work anywhere where there is internet. What advantages are there for someone to get a visa, and move to the United States aside from advantages to the company? (Full disclosure, my mom is an immigrant, moving to the US obviously made sense at the time.)

proberts 3y ago
I think it's to be near the action (SF, NYC, Miami, Austin) and to work in person with others (which we know is a different experience) but I don't really know.
- jppope 3y ago
  thats a totally fair argument. "I want to be here so I run into people at a restaurant or sports event"... but thats generally the angle. typically its some bs like I want to be in person to work with other people or something
zeroc8 3y ago
Because there are still a lot more opportunities to be found than anywhere else in the world, maybe with the exception of China. And who (from a western perspective) wants to live in China?
- jppope 3y ago
  I loved living in China actually
  - usr1106 3y ago
    Past tense seems to be important here. From what I hear from people who lived there in the past things have gone only to the worse since 2018 or so.
gumby 3y ago
You’re reading an AMA in the us with a US immigration attorney of course the questions are about us immigration. If you were in Germany or Australia or even Japan you’d find the web sites and newspapers full of articles about foreigners anting to move to those countries.
outworlder 3y ago
> What advantages are there for someone to get a visa, and move to the United States aside from advantages to the company? More interesting work, as not everything is 'shipped' overseas. Better networking. Plus just my last year's bonus is the equivalent of several years of compensation at my previous country. Unless you find one of those unicorns with compensation that's independent of location, your pay will be far lower, even after accounting for cost of living.
- jppope 3y ago
  > More interesting work this is genuinely an interesting take. wait but why? >Better Networking ok, but the people building companies or developing interesting projects aren't exactly the guy hanging out at the local bar... seems like if you are interested in a niche subject there are pretty clear cut humans to interact with. probably better odds of running into them on hacker news than the local 7-11 > Unless you find one of those unicorns with compensation that's independent of location, your pay will be far lower, even after accounting for cost of living. I don't buy this argument. 2020 freed everyone except low performers. if you are a low performer they still want you to show up, and with good reason.
AndriyKunitsyn 3y ago
You can work everywhere. You won’t be paid as much everywhere, though. Even if your motives aren’t simply greed, bigger salaries mean higher barriers to entry, and working together with people that pass higher barriers to entry will move your career faster.

by jppope 3y ago

proberts 3y ago

I think it's to be near the action (SF, NYC, Miami, Austin) and to work in person with others (which we know is a different experience) but I don't really know.

jppope 3y ago
thats a totally fair argument. "I want to be here so I run into people at a restaurant or sports event"... but thats generally the angle. typically its some bs like I want to be in person to work with other people or something

zeroc8 3y ago

Because there are still a lot more opportunities to be found than anywhere else in the world, maybe with the exception of China. And who (from a western perspective) wants to live in China?

jppope 3y ago
I loved living in China actually
- usr1106 3y ago
  Past tense seems to be important here. From what I hear from people who lived there in the past things have gone only to the worse since 2018 or so.

gumby 3y ago

You’re reading an AMA in the us with a US immigration attorney of course the questions are about us immigration. If you were in Germany or Australia or even Japan you’d find the web sites and newspapers full of articles about foreigners anting to move to those countries.

outworlder 3y ago

> What advantages are there for someone to get a visa, and move to the United States aside from advantages to the company? More interesting work, as not everything is 'shipped' overseas. Better networking. Plus just my last year's bonus is the equivalent of several years of compensation at my previous country. Unless you find one of those unicorns with compensation that's independent of location, your pay will be far lower, even after accounting for cost of living.

jppope 3y ago
> More interesting work this is genuinely an interesting take. wait but why? >Better Networking ok, but the people building companies or developing interesting projects aren't exactly the guy hanging out at the local bar... seems like if you are interested in a niche subject there are pretty clear cut humans to interact with. probably better odds of running into them on hacker news than the local 7-11 > Unless you find one of those unicorns with compensation that's independent of location, your pay will be far lower, even after accounting for cost of living. I don't buy this argument. 2020 freed everyone except low performers. if you are a low performer they still want you to show up, and with good reason.

AndriyKunitsyn 3y ago

You can work everywhere. You won’t be paid as much everywhere, though. Even if your motives aren’t simply greed, bigger salaries mean higher barriers to entry, and working together with people that pass higher barriers to entry will move your career faster.