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Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:17PM (#45307399)
Why not the US? Anecdotally, I'm beginning to see the US market pick up again and a TN visa should see you employed pretty quickly.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by pluc on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:21PM (#45307427)
Because I'm Canadian. There's three places I won't go, the US, Israel and Russia. Happy to work remotely for US, but won't set foot in the place.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by richardlblair on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:34PM (#45307557)
The fact you're being questioned about this is insane.

There used to be a 0% chance of being tossed on a plane and deported somewhere else in the world when visiting the US. That chance is now non-zero, which is an unacceptable level of risk for many.

That and everything else going on. There's a reason Canadians have stopped traveling down south...

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:44PM (#45307645)
Business travel from CAN to US has remained stable (see: https://globalnews.ca/video/11436758/business-travel-to-u-s-...). It's leisure that is declining.

Meanwhile, total spending in the US from int'l visitor tourism is up in the US (see: https://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/internat...).

Honestly, I think macro factors -- namely, poor Canadian household finances due to increasing cost of living and declining real incomes in Canada coupled with a strengthening US dollar against the Loonie -- are what are killing tourism from CAN to US right now.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by richardlblair on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:46PM (#45307661)
As a Canadian, living shoulder to shoulder with the very folks who used to frequently travel to the US (and being one myself).

I firmly disagree.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:52PM (#45307705)
Ok; all I can say is what the statistics indicate. It seems like at least some Canadians accept assignments which result in business travel to the US. As with the OC, this may result in more desirable employees to Canadian employers who wish to continue to do business with the US, hence the original question.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by lazyasciiart on Saturday September 20, 2025 @02:42AM (#45311023)
In other words, Canadians aren’t going to the US unless someone pays them for it. That’s pretty negative sentiment.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Saturday September 20, 2025 @03:06AM (#45311148)
Oh sure. But the important thing -- especially for the OC, who is having a rough time in the job market -- is getting paid to do it.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by jpalawaga on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:49PM (#45308646)
All of my personal network has stopped non-mandatory travel to the US. I wouldn’t be surprised people wouldn’t resist if their employer told them to go for business, but many Canadians are simply opting out of leisure travel to the United States.

There are plenty of other places to travel is the rationale. besides, if a strong greenback was the reason for decrease of leisure, wouldn’t it also be responsible for a decrease in business travel, too? Certainly businesses are also bound to macroeconomic shifts.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:58PM (#45308708)
I don't know what to tell you but on the front of:

> There are plenty of other places to travel is the rationale. besides, if a strong greenback was the reason for decrease of leisure, wouldn’t it also be responsible for a decrease in business travel, too? Certainly businesses are also bound to macroeconomic shifts.

Canada has shockingly little choice when it comes to trade partners. They are literally physically attached to the US and trade is much simpler when working with the US, whether Canada likes it or not. CETA hasn't yet been ratified; Canada has bungled trade with China since harper; Mexico is at best a cheap labor destination that can replace India for Canada. The only real staying power Canada has is exporting raw materials, and even that effectively turns Canada into a resource extraction colony. That's not a happy ending, either.

Canadian businesses have fewer options than many would like to admit, so it makes sense they are keeping up their economic activity with the US.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by sjsdaiuasgdia on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:09PM (#45308796)
The left hand of the chart in the 2nd link provides some perspective for this year's numbers.

July 2024 through Jan 2025, the YoY numbers are always in the 7%-9% range. Averages to 7.7% across those months.

Feb 2025 to July 2025, there's only a single month (April) in that range. We've got 2 months at 1% YoY growth, one break even, and two negative. Those months average out to about 0.7%. If you include Jan 2025 to align to the calendar year 2025, you get 1.57%, which seems to be the number that becomes 'nearly 2 percent' in the text under the chart.

While it is still positive growth, it's 20% of the YoY growth trend for several months heading up to 2025. If you take out Jan 2025 (2/3 of which Trump was not yet president), it's only 10%.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by richardlblair on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:58PM (#45309394)
Their comment about Canada's trade prospects are very telling. They are trying to spin a false narrative (surprise surprise).
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @10:23PM (#45309621)
In your opinion, what is false about it? Canada's growth segment in exports was minerals and tourism services. That's Canada's situation, unfortunately.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by verteu on Saturday September 20, 2025 @01:05PM (#45315128)
"Non-inflation-adjusted tourist dollars spent" was an odd metric to choose.

The number of international arrivals is down YTD (-3%): https://www.trade.gov/i-94-arrivals-program

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Saturday September 20, 2025 @02:34PM (#45315999)
Ask any business if they care about revenue or customers. $ is the goal.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by sethammons on Saturday September 20, 2025 @06:40AM (#45312141)
> Meanwhile, total spending in the US from int'l visitor tourism is up in the US

You are disingenuous and spreading a false narrative. Look at that graph's growth numbers. Look at it.

9,8,7,7,8,8,7, Trump takes office, 1, -5, 8, 1, 0, -1. 6mo average from 7.5 to 0.6%.

A seven percent drop to near a zero average propped up by one historic looking value. But 0.6 _is_ "up" so you can be technically correct.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:22PM (#45307442)
Well, that's a personal decision. And personal decisions can have financial costs.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by pluc on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:26PM (#45307480)
The dilemma to relocate to the US hasn't come up regardless.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:29PM (#45307508)
The CV info you posted basically says upper management. I'm seeing increasingly that companies centralize management in an office (either city satellites or a hq) and permit developers to either work remote within the geographic region with occasional onsites. I don't know of anybody that would permit a manager (much less someone that is a sr. manager) to be remote which is why I asked.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by thirtygeo on Saturday September 20, 2025 @02:59AM (#45311111)
+1
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by rc5150 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:26PM (#45307477)
Do you really need additional clarification on why non-American citizen might choose not to travel to the US for literally any reason? If you do need examples, let me just gesture broadly to the entire US society.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:27PM (#45307491)
Not really. I even live in one of the cities that is "under siege". It's basically another day.

People read headlines, lock themselves in a cage of their own making, and assume the world is on fire. People would do better trusting their own eyes and ears.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by asyx on Saturday September 20, 2025 @04:50AM (#45311614)
Literally what people said in 1933.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Saturday September 20, 2025 @02:35PM (#45316007)
Yeah the comment was aimed at people who think like this. I think you should spend more time in the physical world.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by jonasdegendt on Friday September 19, 2025 @09:43PM (#45309205)
Seconding what the other commenter is saying.

I’m in CA vacationing right now for a month, flew in last week. Literally the same experience getting in, and on the daily, as it’s been for the last decade of visiting annually.

I was talking to my +1 at work before I left, he’s just gotten back from living in OH for the last couple of years for his wife’s job. As much as stuff is seemingly a shit show at the highest levels (which we can all agree on, I reckon), the day to day hasn’t changed all that much. At least not for us privileged techies.

But hey, that’s just two datapoints, so what do I know really.

Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by greyb on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:19PM (#45307414)
Can managers/directors of engineering even qualify for a TN under the recent renewed scrutiny?
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @06:21PM (#45307432)
Yeah. That's actually the only way to get a TN -- to oversee technical work in a managerial capacity. Technical managers of software engineers are 100% able to enter under TN.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by bananalychee on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:18PM (#45308412)
What do you mean it's the only way? Computer engineering is a valid TN employment category, among many others.
Re:Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years? by mgh95 on Friday September 19, 2025 @08:26PM (#45308468)
Sorry - I mean the "only way" as a manager, not as a software/technical professional.

You can't for example, use manager of a McDonalds to qualify as a manager under a TN as far as I understand it. If you are a manager, you need to be technical in nature.