wheretolive

Mansions might be positive for some. And doesn't take benefits away!

Vancouver downtown is amazing too. Used to live there. But living in a high rise with young kids and constant false fire alarms where a big pain.

Agreed. Still doesn't take away the other unique features away. I am yet to find any more place with such size houses which are walkable. Which was the charm for me.

It's First Shaughnessy District. Most historic area of Vancouver and has many heritage protections e.g. a. can't demolish houses built before 1940, b. every change in the exterior have to be approved by a First Shaughnessy Design Committee apart the city.

By many metrics, FDS is one of the best places in the world to have a house in, due to following reasons:

1. Big lot size: Average size Half acre (21k+ sqft). No other world class city has such sized lots in walking distance to the downtown (< 30mins walk, <10min drive).

2. Incredibly safe.

3. Right next to the Granville shop area which is even closer than the downtown (< 10 mins walk). Major develpment happening in nearby Broadway area.

4. 15mins drive to Vancouver International airport.

5. Incredibly safe.

6. 10mins drive to beach

7. 30-40mins drive to skiing. While Vanvouer itself gets snowed in maybe 10 days an year.

8. Other benefits which apply to Vancouver due to being centrally located in Vancouver.

Cool, will do that!

The system is designed to give a Green Card in around an year. You can file for an EB1-3 as soon as you move to US.

Process is:

PERM - 3-4 months (EB1 and EB2-NIW don't need it)

I-140 - premium - 14 days

I-485 - can be filed concurrently with I-140 - Takes around 5-6 months

Green Card - 1-2 months within approval of I-485.

Of course this is the best case scenario, which doesn't involve company delaying, bad law firm and RFEs from USCIS. But the system is designed to be done within an year!

I know colleagues who have gotten their Green Cards within an year.

And unfortunately, I know more about the immigration system that I should be knowing :(

Do you know that India is more than in languages, cuisine, culture and history than whole of Western Europe. Just because they have common passport, doesn't mean that they are any less diverse.

If whole of Europe gets a single EU passport, does it suddenly make them any less diverse?

Yes. You can have both! You can have some Green Cards allocated to the points based and some allocated to the current system.

The current system was designed for situations which existed in the past. It wasn't perfect but served the job then. Times have changed and ground realities have changed - so time to tweak it!

As far as where I have to go - it's my prerogative! If US doesn't work, will find what works best for me!

Don't need your suggestions! Apart from not getting the birthplace lottery - am ahead on everything else!

It's the system which is enabling people to take advantage, and only system can fix it through changes in law!

When the system allowed segregation, whom do you blame more - the system which allowed it or the general people who were taking advantage of it.

The process is non-definitive. A few years after you invest the money, you get a provisional green card and if the 10 permanent jobs are created after 2 years from that point, you get a permanent Green Card. Too many ifs and buts.

I thought EB-1 was more definitive and I felt that I was the right fit for it.

However at this point I am kind of done!

This isn't criticizing bank robbing. It's just saying that cracking down on the bank robbing, might not make restaurants any safer. Only claim was that restaurants (hitech companies might benefit).

Does it take so long! When were you able to file your I-485 - so that you have EAD and AP

This sounds great! Congrats on cutting your losses!

EB-2 works under same priority order, whether NIW or not. Only benefit of NIW is that you don't need to do PERM (which is labor certification).

So, EB-2 NIW - doesn't help people from India - because it is really easy to get a EB-2. I have 2 approved ones which are useless!

This isn't going to help high tech companies.

EB1-C is a Green Card category for multinational managers. It is supposed to be used to move job creating foreign nationals to US.

Till 2010, the body shop and consulting companies didn't use it much. However as rule tightened since 2010, these companies started using EB1-C to most low cost labor to US and delaying Green Card for everyone else.

With EB1-C you can get Green Card within an year, cutting in line in front of everyone else from India.

With this ruling, these companies are going to double down on EB1-C.

When did your friends move to US. Recently or before 2012. Since 2010, the decline started and since 2012 very few highly qualifies Indians are moving to US. It has been a mix of growth in local startup ecosystem and know how much the immigration situation for Indians sucks in US!

I have an O-1. Still didn't help me get a Green Card!

Seriously, I don't know how do you draw such conclusions.

The main point was: It is really difficult for highly skilled people from India to immigrate from India. And because of this many highly skilled Indians want to leave.

First, you insinuated that letting highly skilled Indians in means not letting in low-skilled immigrations. No it doesn't!

Second, you insinuated that this means allowing every Indian. No it doesn't.

Seriously, which part of Highly skilled do you not understand!

The amount of flagging your post has seen, indicates that others agree with me.

Troll, Please go away and do not pollute HN!

I agree US is great with immigration (if you are not from India).

Most people can get a Green Card within a year (even with moderate skills) and citizenship at 5 years without language test.

This is great! But doesn't work for Indians. Which is what Indians in this thread are complaining about!

Many times things have a lagging indicator. West Europeans don't have strong reasons to move to US. Neither do Chinese to a large extent - because of vibrant local opportunities in China now.

Till 2010, best from India wanted to move to US. Not anymore! The problem is self solving. If Hackernews would be around in 10 years, and US immigration stays the same - there wouldn't be Indians complaining here about this - because they wouldn't be in US

You don't need to restrict immigration for low skilled to remove crazy restrictions for high skilled immigrants. I don't know how and where you are making this connection!

Not making it super difficult for high skilled, shouldn't mean restricting immigration to them. Your first line seems like an useless argument. I am not sure how you arrived at it.

I want to prioritize being in the place, where I can be most effective as a human being and contribute back to the humanity.

As a side effect of this I contribute back to the places, I care about. I donated to a school in my hometown (which as my as I love I can't move back to because it has power cuts for 22 hours a day in 120F summers). Send decent amount of USD to India and advise startup in Indian ecosystem.

If at some point I feel that I can be most effective being in India, I would definitely go back!

It's not luck as in buying a lottery ticket. If the case is not strong and not well prepared - it will definitely get rejected.

But if the case is really strong, and the petition is really strong - it's possible that you might get lucky and they might approve it.

It depends on which officer did you get, which side of the bed they woke up and did they have a fight with their spouse recently!

It really sucks!

What's the point if you live under a threat of deportation all your life!

Do you know how much paper work has to be done to file a petition. I have around 20 pounds in weight of past paperwork!. Every petition is 100s of pages. Even if you have an approved petition, you have to go for Visa stamping where there is a 8-10 page questionnaire, waiting in line on 2 separate days and answer questions.

It's all really fucked it. You can do it for maybe 1-2 years. Not for decades.

There are many Indians in US, who would be screwed if they lost their jobs in US. They work for the outsourcing companies and if they have to move to to India - their quality of life will take a big dive. There if they make 80k USD, they will make 20-30k USD in India and have a much worse quality of life. These people wouldn't go back unless they are forced to. And they save every penny they can, because they are trying to be ready for the worst case scenario.

However, anyone who is highly skilled - they can get a job anywhere.

Being in US is like being in a decades long dating relationship where you counterpart raises questions on the relationship and threatens to throw you out every few years. However, some people want to get married and settle and it makes sense for them to move on!

Going for EB-1 has been one of the worst decisions of my life. I wasted 2 years collecting paper work, getting letters, wasting money and waiting!

It really a luck thing. And if you have to go premium. You will find out sooner!

<From throwaway account to avoid leaking personal info>

I feel so great for you! Finally, I am moving out. Enough dealing with the immigration crap here!

I waited for 8 years too. Didn't let immigration stall my career. Built a company, sold it to one of the top tech companies in Bay Area. Building another company to solve a really tough problem. But man it has been stressful! USCIS keeps getting hung up on technicality and makes it as difficult as possible to live here.

Meanwhile I have paid millions in taxes in US.

People who are in the lowest part of the value chain, will always find a loophole - there is too much money at stake and they don't have any other choice!

Accomplished people will move out or stop coming! US, keep doing this and eventually H1B will be just be a tool for cheap labor! Best talent from India, doesn't come to US anymore! And most of who are still here will move out!

I applied for EB-1. They need 3 criteria. Accepted 2 criteria (extra ordinary contribution to my field and leading role in organizations). They rejected the media and press criteria because most of the press about my company's acquisition, while mentioned me by name, was about the company and not me. And BTW I was Founder of the company and built it from scratch.

In any other country, one of the criteria that they accepted would have been enough.

If you are talented and from India, don't waste your life in US. Where ever you go, jobs will follow you. Move out as soon as you can!

Good bye US!