Comment by xp84

Comment by xp84 2 days ago

3 replies

Brief reading of reddit posts by people who actually did this almost always included that the company's lawyers wrote them letters and prepared packets of materials for them to provide CBP. We don't have any lawyers. We're simply not employing people who don't have green cards. We don't have time or money to play games with the government.

One important thing in seeking TN status is that the title of degree matters immensely to your employability, which goes entirely against what I stand for, as if you have a degree in economics or no degree but do a great job of writing code, I'd want to hire you. The law contains vagaries and there is a "memo" which suggests that they use common sense, but it's all up to a random border guard who might not know any of that to interpret everything.

Anyway, you're not automatically legally allowed to work in the US and lying about it won't help. We can agree to disagree on whether we "should" deal with all that stuff or if we're missing out, but lying to get halfway in the door is the worst way to change an employer's mind, especially in this economy when plenty of domestic candidates are available.

YZF 2 days ago

I agree with you about the dishonesty of saying yes (as I replied in another comment).

That said this is a choice you're making from what sounds like more religious reasons. Your company and your choice but it's not hard to employ TNs in a startup (and I know because I had TN status with two startups so I'm a little ahead of "brief reading of reddit posts").

TN status can also be applied for in advance by the way, doesn't have to be at the border. This wasn't an option when I had TN status but now it is.

  • xp84 2 days ago

    While I was only speaking in hypotheticals about companies that only want to hire people who have legal status (no one has asked us to help them get TN status), I'd rather do zero paperwork by hiring people with existing status, than (allegedly) "not hard" work to support TN hopefuls, especially given the US government is liable these days to randomly change things around and cause chaos - especially in areas likely to score political points like immigration. POTUS could declare tomorrow that every TN (in a certain industry? state? whatever) has to go home in 10 days.

    My attitude would certainly change though, if/when we can't find skilled people with existing work authorization, or if I had an incredibly strong personal referral.

    • knuppar 2 days ago

      I mean you are clearly not prioritizing talent, and that's fine. Does not change the fact TN is really simple.