4 ms·

To keep out third world people.

by guelo 12y ago

atemerev 12y ago
OK then, but why, say, even Canadians need to go through hell if they want to live and work in the US, and vice versa?
- tokenadult 12y ago
  Is it really hell? How hard is it for a Canadian to live and work in the United States? I know quite a few Canadians who live and work here in the United States. (Indeed, I know people from all over the world here who are living here long-term and who are gainfully employed.) AFTER EDIT: I am sincerely interested, and I think "hell" may be a bit of an exaggeration, so I'm not sure what's objectionable about this question. But let me know if you have an objection, okay?
  - atemerev 12y ago
    One US acquaintance of mine is now waiting 9 months to get her Canadian work visa. I am waiting 8 months to renew my Swiss residence permit (I have to do it every year), despite that I live in Switzerland for 9 years already.
  - ma2rten 12y ago
    It depends on your personal situation and there is great degree of arbitrariness. Canadians can enter the country for 6 months without a visa. This makes it is easy to work illegally for people who are willing to take that risk. There is the TN visa, which is easy to obtain. But it's only for 8 specific professions. I for one worked as a Computer Systems Analyst. A job title I never heard before that. Once you have this visa it's bound to your employment, when you loose your job, you have to leave the country in 10 days. This is a temporary visa and you can not apply for a green card. Then there is H1B. This visa allows you to apply for a green card, but you can only apply for it on one specific date per year, if you can get it depends on a lottery (!), which decides if you can work 6 month later. Also it requires a mountain of paperwork, which however the companies lawyer will normally take care of. From there it takes 2-3 year to get a green card.
  - maxerickson 12y ago
    Personally I find it really strange that we (the U.S.) aren't working every day towards having an open border with Canada (it doesn't seem to be just Canada that doesn't want it). I guess you'd need limitations on health care and an awareness campaign about it (so that confused people didn't travel in an attempt to save money), but other than that, I think the only stopper is the slightly higher level of paranoia the U.S. shows towards foreign visitors.
- eloisant 12y ago
  Because Canada and US have very different immigration policies, so they can't make a Schengen between the 2 countries.
- hackerboos 12y ago
  I wouldn't call the TN visa 'hell'.
  - jarek 12y ago
    It's not exactly EEA level "show up whenever and register at an office" though.
    - desdiv 12y ago
      The TN program is easier than that. For the EEA you have to go down to the immigration registration office and, well, register. For the TN program you simply present yourself to the immigration officer when you enter the country (this part is something that even a citizen will have to do), show them your documentation, pay $50, and you're done. You don't even have to fill out a form.
      - jarek 12y ago
        Yeah but in EEA you don't have to explain just how you're a Computer Systems Analyst and not a software developer
  - FD3SA 12y ago
    The TN visa is arbitrary and random. You are at the whim of an uneducated border officer, who gets to unanimously decide on whether you get to work in the US or not. Furthermore, its renewal is also at the whims of said officer. You better hope he's in a good mood, or you can say goodbye to GoogFaceMicroZon! Try explaining to them why you have a degree in Electrical Engineering but work as a Data Scientist. My friend tried, and it would be funny if it didn't almost cost him his job. He literally got in due to a shred of mercy caused by his girlfriend's tears at the possibility of a refused visa. The USA sometimes feels like a dystopian nightmare, mainly populated with idiotic yes-men and ruled by Machiavellian bureaucrats. There are a few niche ecosystems that are impressive, but they are by far the minority.
    - mahyarm 12y ago

To keep out third world people.

by guelo 12y ago

To keep out third world people.

atemerev 12y ago

OK then, but why, say, even Canadians need to go through hell if they want to live and work in the US, and vice versa?

tokenadult 12y ago
Is it really hell? How hard is it for a Canadian to live and work in the United States? I know quite a few Canadians who live and work here in the United States. (Indeed, I know people from all over the world here who are living here long-term and who are gainfully employed.) AFTER EDIT: I am sincerely interested, and I think "hell" may be a bit of an exaggeration, so I'm not sure what's objectionable about this question. But let me know if you have an objection, okay?
- atemerev 12y ago
  One US acquaintance of mine is now waiting 9 months to get her Canadian work visa. I am waiting 8 months to renew my Swiss residence permit (I have to do it every year), despite that I live in Switzerland for 9 years already.
- ma2rten 12y ago
  It depends on your personal situation and there is great degree of arbitrariness. Canadians can enter the country for 6 months without a visa. This makes it is easy to work illegally for people who are willing to take that risk. There is the TN visa, which is easy to obtain. But it's only for 8 specific professions. I for one worked as a Computer Systems Analyst. A job title I never heard before that. Once you have this visa it's bound to your employment, when you loose your job, you have to leave the country in 10 days. This is a temporary visa and you can not apply for a green card. Then there is H1B. This visa allows you to apply for a green card, but you can only apply for it on one specific date per year, if you can get it depends on a lottery (!), which decides if you can work 6 month later. Also it requires a mountain of paperwork, which however the companies lawyer will normally take care of. From there it takes 2-3 year to get a green card.
- maxerickson 12y ago
  Personally I find it really strange that we (the U.S.) aren't working every day towards having an open border with Canada (it doesn't seem to be just Canada that doesn't want it). I guess you'd need limitations on health care and an awareness campaign about it (so that confused people didn't travel in an attempt to save money), but other than that, I think the only stopper is the slightly higher level of paranoia the U.S. shows towards foreign visitors.
eloisant 12y ago
Because Canada and US have very different immigration policies, so they can't make a Schengen between the 2 countries.
hackerboos 12y ago
I wouldn't call the TN visa 'hell'.
- jarek 12y ago
  It's not exactly EEA level "show up whenever and register at an office" though.
  - desdiv 12y ago
    The TN program is easier than that. For the EEA you have to go down to the immigration registration office and, well, register. For the TN program you simply present yourself to the immigration officer when you enter the country (this part is something that even a citizen will have to do), show them your documentation, pay $50, and you're done. You don't even have to fill out a form.
    - jarek 12y ago
      Yeah but in EEA you don't have to explain just how you're a Computer Systems Analyst and not a software developer
- FD3SA 12y ago
  The TN visa is arbitrary and random. You are at the whim of an uneducated border officer, who gets to unanimously decide on whether you get to work in the US or not. Furthermore, its renewal is also at the whims of said officer. You better hope he's in a good mood, or you can say goodbye to GoogFaceMicroZon! Try explaining to them why you have a degree in Electrical Engineering but work as a Data Scientist. My friend tried, and it would be funny if it didn't almost cost him his job. He literally got in due to a shred of mercy caused by his girlfriend's tears at the possibility of a refused visa. The USA sometimes feels like a dystopian nightmare, mainly populated with idiotic yes-men and ruled by Machiavellian bureaucrats. There are a few niche ecosystems that are impressive, but they are by far the minority.
  - mahyarm 12y ago