Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by kldx 769 days ago
> We're not that many.

We already allow freedom of movement from countries within the EU, whose population sizes are an order of magnitude more than ours. Yet the amount of paperwork it takes for a US citizen to work here is fairly high. They also don't get any unemployment benefits as long as they are on a work permit because of NAV's rules.

Why should the US offer us more than what we offer them?
2 comments
unixhero 768 days ago
Because you lack enough talent to fuel your insatiable demand for it, to keep the competitive sustainable advantage the US economy has.
link
kldx 768 days ago
You're right. That's why the US has skilled worker streams to obtain work permits. For those with extraordinary abilities, the process is arguably quicker. These streams are oversubscribed with talent from other countries so the US isn't immediately pressed to create a special visa stream for Norway specifically.
link
fakedang 769 days ago
Not to mention even opening a bank account ;)

Swiss banks routinely either reject Americans, or ask for so much paperwork.

link
TechnicalVault 769 days ago
Swiss banks reject Americans because of US legislation, namely FATCA (https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/tax-policy/foreign-a...) Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. It's introduced reporting requirements and thus massive costs in having US citizens banking with you, thus it's cheaper to just say no. Rational economic response.
link
felsokning 768 days ago
>...because of US legislation, namely FATCA ...

To be clear: The issue with FACTA is that saying "yes" to an American citizen (or national) adds costs to the foreign bank (in free labour on-behalf of the US). The US doesn't fund any of the work of reporting these accounts back to US.

Its almost as if the US has internal sources of free labour and expects no repercussions from expecting the same from their international counterparts...

link
fakedang 769 days ago
I know about FATCA, but just to clarify, it's not just Swiss banks. A lot of European banks do so too, unless they're one of the super major ones.
link
p_l 768 days ago
And all of them do that because of FATCA.

Which frankly speaking should be rejected due to Congress reneging on their side of agreement.

link