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I'm Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

245 points proberts | 7 comments | 17 Oct 24 16:01 UTC | HN request time: 1.067s | source | bottom

I'll be here for the few hours and then again at around 1 pm PST for another few hours. As usual, there are countless possible topics and I'll be guided by whatever you're concerned with. Please remember that I can't provide legal advice on specific cases for obvious liability reasons because I won't have access to all the facts. Please stick to a factual discussion in your questions and comments and I'll try to do the same in my answers. Thanks!

Previous threads we've done: https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=proberts.

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danielktdoranie ◴[17 Oct 24 22:29 UTC] No.41874458[source]▶
Employers should have to prove they were not able to find a U.S. citizen who can do the job before they're allowed to hire someone that needs a work permit. Employers purposefully seek out non-U.S. citizens as they know they're happy to work for a lot less, especially if gets them into the U.S. This whole system encourages economic migrants, puts U.S. citizens out of work. As far as In am concerned you're actively working against your fellow Americans helping foreigners abuse and exploit our immigration laws.
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1. casenmgreen ◴[17 Oct 24 22:37 UTC] No.41874520[source]▶
> Employers should have to prove they were not able to find a U.S. citizen who can do the job before they're allowed to hire someone that needs a work permit.

Why?

It's their money and their business.

What business do you or I have in forcing upon them what they can do? any more than they would have any business forcing themselves upon us?

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2. realityfactchex ◴[17 Oct 24 23:36 UTC] No.41874919[source]▶
> Why?

AFAICT, the parent answered that with "This whole system...puts U.S. citizens out of work." (Whether that's actually true or not, I'm not entirely certain, but the argument could definitely be made, and, in all likelihood, convincingly.)

> What business do you or I have in forcing upon them what they can do? any more than they would have any business forcing themselves upon us?

Presumably, it's people's business because the US is basically a nation governed by the people who see it as their responsibility to help ensure their basic values (peace, prosperity, life, freedom, justice, pursuit of happiness, etc.). So, when there's regulation that affects the people, it actually is their business.

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3. null0pointer ◴[17 Oct 24 23:53 UTC] No.41875016[source]▶
I'm not a US citizen, but you might find that most US citizens would prefer their government to prioritize the interests of US citizens over foreign nationals. Just as I would expect my home country's government to prioritize the interests of its citizens over foreigners.
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4. scubadude ◴[18 Oct 24 00:49 UTC] No.41875342[source]▶
> What business do you or I have in forcing upon them what they can do?

It's called regulation and we do it all the time.

5. casenmgreen ◴[18 Oct 24 09:09 UTC] No.41877600[source]▶
> interests of US citizens

The people who own businesses are US citizens.

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6. casenmgreen ◴[18 Oct 24 12:16 UTC] No.41878678[source]▶
> "This whole system...puts U.S. citizens out of work." (Whether that's actually true or not, I'm not entirely certain, but the argument could definitely be made, and, in all likelihood, convincingly.)

If bringing people from outside the USA into the USA puts people out of work, doesn't having children also put people out of work?

7. confidantlake ◴[18 Oct 24 13:25 UTC] No.41879245{3}[source]▶
There are a lot more US workers than there are US business owners.