2 ms·
I've heard of a couple of interesting things lately suggesting that despite the "downturn" there's been some positive changes in US immigration policy. Well, on
by ojbyrne 18y ago
I've heard of a couple of interesting things lately suggesting that despite the "downturn" there's been some positive changes in US immigration policy. Well, one substantive one,really. TN visas (huge for Canadians) are now good for 3 years instead of 1.
- makecheck 18y agoA longer TN visa is only nice if, in fact, your goal is temporary work in the U.S. If you actually expect a green card some day, this change is a curse. When your 2nd H-1B expires, you must have started the green card process (or equivalent) to stay in the U.S. For most people, this is within 6 years of arriving in the U.S. But for TN visa holders, they stay in the U.S. for the duration of all their TN visas, and add the roughly 6 years for H-1B after that. So now, this could be 10 years or more. And the companies I've seen are in no rush to start your green card any sooner than they have to, as it costs them money (and you may just quit). What's worse, there is some risk and complexity in switching jobs while on a visa; technically there is a chance you could lose all rights to stay in the U.S. when you quit your job. So most people will work for a single company for many, many years, just to get their green cards. If you aren't completely in love with your job, this would suck.
- notauser 18y agoAccording to their on line processing times data they haven't reviewed _any_ petitions for family members over 21 in the last 11 months, making the queue now about 10 years long (including the 2 years it takes for an initial response to the application). Any improvement in US immigration policy would be welcome.