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Comment by throw901232 | Hacker News Reader

I was in the US an H1B worker highly skilled in a top company. I wanted to be a US citizen. US is a great country. But I have to wait 10 years minimum (India queue) to get a greencard and my wife cannot work because is an H4 visa holder. So I left US and immigrated to Canada and is a citizen now.

US should stop taking in people thru diversity visas and family categories, but skilled people like me who wants to contribute and make it big in life are made to wait forever. Your loss US, your loss.

US' immigration system is broken. Diversity visa system & the entire family tree of that person moving to the US in the course of time. What a burden to the US taxpayers !. While skilled workers like me bringing high value to the US economy are being pushed away. US immigration system is a joke. Take a cue from Canada's express entry system and learn.

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The article obviously doesn't talk about her visa status, but it certainly sounds like she holds a work visa just like you did. It doesn't sound like she is a naturalized citizen.

I agree the immigration quotas should be higher, though.

No, that's the wrong takeaway. The immigration queues should be full of high quality people who are also likely to make loyal US citizens.

The precisely not how it works now. It’s full of people who will make good employees. Selecting for good citizens is very different, but in the case of bitter-toned OP perhaps it worked in this regard.

>It’s full of people who will make good employees.

Yeah I would agree with that. You can see the conflict of interest here though - with the existing system US Federal Government employees are making decisions about who might become a citizen one day. Presumably, those citizens will then hold the government employees accountable for their actions.

This biases US Government decision-making towards populations that tend to be pliable and dependent on the state, rather than populations who have the capability of building alternative bases of power.

Honestly what this means is that decisions about who to let in the country are too important for the US Government to be making - exactly because citizens should hold it accountable for its behavior.

As an American, I find this opinion offensive. When you say the US needs to import skilled workers you are insinuating that Anericans aren’t intelligent enough or capable enough to fill positions. It doesn’t do my country any good to import someone to do a job while there are skilled Americans looking for work.

Do you mean the diversity visa program is offensive? Or the h1b visa program? Or just immigration in general?

I dunno, I think a country benefits when it imports talented people, full stop. Americans can be intelligent and capable, and companies can still benefit from hiring more people just like them (or, in some cases, more intelligent and more capable than them).

Perhaps it'd make sense to be protectionist if there was a fixed pool of employment/business opportunities, but I don't think that's the case for technology workers at the moment--lots of room at the margin for talented people.

I am possibly biased, though. I was in the US on an H1B for a few years from 2008-2011, but left due to the immigration bullshit.

Wondering, why a throwaway post though. I don't think being happy about Canada is that controversial here. A lot of people want to immigrate there and it's a great country. Do you think it's because it wasn't the first choice and you might get criticized for it?

If they ask my social accounts when I visit US, I don't want them to see my comments on this topic. I was once questioned half jokingly by a TSA agent on my choice of tshirt. The tshirt was of an IC engine schematic. Just playing it safe. US has become a scary 'stereotypy' place for non US citizens.

Good point on social accounts. That's a chilling and scary thing.

there is a lot that isn't about "the earnest citizen" in the US. Yes, we taxpayers aren't pleased about it. Canada is lovely-- you will get good healthcare there even if you lose your job. A lot of us Americans wish the US could learn from Canada. Menwhile, be thrilled you are there!

I am in love with this country now. I am now relaxed, not worried about my visa status. My wife is happily working too. We lead a happy stress free life.

That's Canada for ya!

I've moved to the US from Canada, and my life is more stressful and less relaxed then it used to be. The US is a great place, but its got a kind of crazy, competitive, wild west, make it or break it, work hard, never stop, push your limits past the breaking point kind of attitude. Which can be fun in a way, if you're managing to keep up with it, but definitly exhausting in the long run.

Now, I just keep thinking how nice it'll be when I move back to Canada, after my US "adventures", and get to relax again, enjoy good people's company, and just appreciate a comfortable life without worries and minimal stress.

Canadians kind of do fall into their stereotypes. They're just nice reasonable people, who just want to be friendly to you and not have to work too hard, but know how to organise themselves and work together so everyone can enjoy a nice life.

And since you is a citizen of canada now, do you also take the popcorn for stories like this?

"Suspect in Canada Terror Attack Had Been Ordered to Leave U.S." https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/world/canada/canada-terro...

Glad that someone funneling money to terrorists is a cause for your celebration though. At least it makes someone besides the terrorists happy.

Clearly we lost a charmer. I'll be sure to write my congressperson.

"taking the popcorn" is not a celebration. I am sorry you felt that way.

You should take it out. As a native english speaker, I've never heard an idiomatic expression involving popcorn that didn't imply "happily awaiting entertainment."

Done.

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