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Comment by largote | Hacker News Reader

For Software Engineers, citizens from these 4 countries can get work Visas other than an H1-B:

  Canada
  Mexico
  Singapore
  Chile

The first two on the TN Visa, and the latter two on the H1-B1 Visa, the cap has never been reached on either.

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Australian can also get a E-3 visa, which is similar to a H1-B.

The major differences are that the E-3 can be renewed indefinitely, but it is technically not dual-intent. The E-3 cap has also never been reached.

True, but keep in mind TN Visas are designed for temporary work. They need to be renewed every 3 years, even for the same employer, and offer no path towards permanent residence. So, they can be used for people doing a work exchange for a company that has branches in Canada/Mexico and the U.S., or as a bridge when the H1-B cap has been hit for the current/next year. They don't really substitute an H1-B in the mid/long term.

The H1-B also need to be renewed (even for the same employer), except it's on a 4 year period IIRC. Also, the TN can be renewed indefinitely, whereas the H1-B can only be renewed so many times before you're "forced" into a Green Card.

It can also be used, like you mentioned, as a bridge to start working immediately without having to wait for H1-B openings the be ready.

"temporary work. They need to be renewed every 3 years, even for the same employer, and offer no path towards permanent residence."

But TNs are renewable infinitely. You did need to call yourself a systems analyst. Systems analyst was on the list of approved TN jobs but computer programmer was excluded, even though they're the same thing. I believe software engineer was recently added even though that is also the exact same thing as a computer programmer or systems analyst. The Dept of Labor has a dozen or more objectively indistinguishable words for programmer.

There is a route to permanent residence, of course. You can either just keep renewing or you can marry an American. You probably can't afford to retire in the Bay Area as a programmer anyway if your spouse isn't insisting so you might as well return home when you're done working. Canada and Mexico are nice places to go home to at the end of a career.

Or you can switch to an H1-B and apply for a Green Card immediately after getting it if you feel like becoming a permanent resident.

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