

New York I Love You, But US Immigration Policy Is Bringing Me Down - untog
http://blog.untogether.co.uk/post/10730864649/new-york-i-love-you-but-us-immigration-policy-is

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mcos
As someone currently going through my second H1B transfer in three years, I
hope it works out quickly for you.

I'm in the process of drafting a letter to the Rep from my district about the
nightmare that this process has been. I know its not going to change any
overarching policy, but I'd at least like for the USCIS to keep the
documentation I've already provided for my current visa on file so that I
don't need to send them paperwork they've already seen for my first three
applications.

Unfortunately, I suspect that somewhere at the heart of the USCIS system an
entity relationship is enforced such that there is a one to one relationship
between candidates and cases/visas and, thus, no interchange of information
between one case/visa and the next. One advantage of this is that there is not
likely to be much carryover of any errors between cases. This is purely
speculation though.

A better model might result in a one to many relationship between candidates
and cases/visas, where only one can be active at a time. This might result in
an easier way for the immigration service to query each visa and tell me
exactly what documentation is necessary for a transfer. However, this would
also involve me trusting USCIS to actually manage and keep my data safe and
secure. It would also involve me trusting them not to make any errors when
inputting data to their system and for there to be an easy way to correct
their data when they do make a mistake.

The one unfortunate thing that I'm sure about regarding immigration issues is
that things are not going to change anytime soon. The lawyers who assemble and
file visa applications at a very high cost for companies are not going to be
happy if the system is made accessible for people to do by themselves. They,
unfortunately, have a vested interest in keeping things as complicated as
possible.

As for me, I'm going to do the same thing I've done with all my visa
applications, I'm going to assemble everything associated with the application
into one place (all paperwork, forms, emails, communications etc) and make a
digital copy which will be encrypted and stored on a backup drive as well as a
physical copy which will sit in my personal safe. Then, I'm going to start my
new job and forget everything about the process and hope that I don't have to
go through it again for a long time.

Good luck with everything!

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jisaacstone
'Guilty until proven innocent' is the method applied by US immigration.

I remember applying for a visa for my wife and it said so in plain words.

The government is basically saying to you: 'prove that you are not a
terrorist/spy/fraud'

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chx
I am a Canadian permanent resident. I am also an open source developer.
Somewhat high in our (non)organization ladder. So I travel quite some to this
and that conference, meet, code sprint, whatever. My chances of getting
Canadian citizenship with a lifestyle like that? Naught :/

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littlegiantcap
Welcome to Bureaucracy.

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mattmanser
Come back to your own country where every one else paid for your education,
your healthcare, your safety and your opportunities.

Start business. Employ people.

Pay it forward.

Problem solved.

~~~
garethsprice
Go and try to start a company in the UK, and then see if you're quite as
enthusiastic about repatriating smart people.

Nothing about British society and culture is receptive to startups and
entrepreneurs - it's an uphill struggle (both ways! in the snow!) to even get
something simple started, let alone fully explore new ways of doing business.

The net result is that the entrepreneur has produced less value for the world
than if they'd been able to build their idea in America, where there's far
less friction in getting new ideas off the ground.

The US is (still) a unique and wonderful place for smart people to try to
realize their potential. As a country in a global competition for talent, we
should be doing everything in our power to attract and retain the smartest
people in the world.

(UK emigrant)

~~~
markng
Do you mean start a company, or build a product? As another UK expat in
America, starting my first company here (and having run a company back home),
the process for starting a company in the UK is slightly more efficient than
in the US.

If you're talking about finding investment, that's a different matter. But
finding investment is only "easy" in a few places in America. It's certainly
no easier to find investment in the city in which I am based than it is in
London.

Edit: (and I'm not so sure we should all be building companies that need
hundreds of thousands of dollars to get off the ground. That places exist
where we can do that in the world is great, but bootstrapping creates
different types of worthwhile businesses.)

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garethsprice
Finding investment, talent, or even just being able to tell people you're
starting your own business without getting a look like you've just told them
you've got a second head... the US (even the remoter parts) has a far better
support network for entrepreneurs than even large UK cities.

Agreed about bootstrapping, but even that is easier in the US where people are
more conditioned to pay for services, consultants, etc.

~~~
markng
I can't say I've experienced anything like what you've talked about. What
places in the UK and the US are you talking about/comparing ? My experiences
have been in London, Bournemouth and Phoenix.

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bigwally
US immigration is just like a Monty Python sketch and contains some Yes/No
questions, such as;

Have you ever committed Genocide?

Are you coming to the United States to practice Polygamy?

Are you coming to the United States to use or deal in illegal Drugs?

Have you ever been a part of a Terrorist organization?

Are you planning to overthrow the US government?

US immigration policy brings everyone down except maybe those from the
Ministry of Silly Walks.

~~~
srdev
I found those questions fairly amusing when filling out forms. In retrospect,
though, I'm guessing that they expect people who meet those criteria to lie.
They're there to give them a legally simple way to throw undesirable people
out of the country (you perjured on your entry application), should it come up
in retrospect.

