6 ms·

> The issue here is that, if you just left the country to do everything the country asked you, you are now in limbo. I feel like I’ve said it a few times but -

> The issue here is that, if you just left the country to do everything the country asked you, you are now in limbo. I feel like I’ve said it a few times but - Yes, exactly. The country wants you to leave and then get’s to decide if you can come back. That’s how it’s designed. On purpose. You’re approaching it from a perspective where you’re being asked to leave and your reentry is a right. It’s not. They never said, if you leave you can come back. They said, leave and we’ll see. The risk of being blocked out is inherent by anyone residing in a country that has this similar process; there are many.

hvb2 21d ago
> I feel like I’ve said it a few times but - Yes, exactly. The country wants you to leave and then get’s to decide if you can come back. That’s how it’s designed. On purpose. That is how it's designed, and that's fine. But make a decision... They're pausing the decision making for an indefinite amount of time. That's not how it was designed, but it sure does look like that's on purpose.
- j_maffe 21d ago
  The Purpose of a System is What it Does.
  - vintermann 20d ago
    The Word Purpose was Invented Precisely to Distinguish Between What a System Does and What it Ought to Do. Less catchy, but damn, I hate that slogan.
- conductr 21d ago
  Pause is a silly way of saying No for now. You can try again later. But they’re not advising when that may be happening. To me, that tells you everything you need to know. That they don’t know themselves because it’s to be determined, maybe. Until then, no.
  - hvb2 21d ago
    > You can try again later. Can they? Because one of the questions on these questionnaires is almost always 'have you had a prior request being denied'. > But they’re not advising when that may be happening. To me, that tells you everything you need to know. These are life altering decisions for people that might have put decades into doing their best for the US. This is not about what to have for dinner. This causes a LOT of uncertainty and chaos for no real reason. If they're so convinced it should all be denied, then issue those denials so they can be challenged.
    - conductr 21d ago
      So maybe you have stated a reason a pause is better than an explicit no. No history of a denial is maybe a better thing. I get the human component but I can separate that from policy. I have my own risk assessment on it and it’s that I couldn’t imagine ever making any material investment financial or community in a place like this. I’ve thought about doing the digital nomad thing in the past, and I don’t think anyone would be surprised if some random South East Asian country did this same thing and nobody would bat an eye. It to be expected that other countries can have wavering policies, it’s when the US does it that people cry about the humanity of it. I don’t think it would have hurt much to put some advanced warning out there. Let people plan for it. But I also know that probably has some blow back towards the intended outcome of this. Also, I don’t think you can challenge a blanket policy. I haven’t really dove into this but it doesn’t sound like they’re making any exceptions. The current administration loves creating chaos and uncertainty. Exactly why this should be less of a surprise to those that know how things work and that they may actually get locked out. Anyone who reads even just the headline of this and is perplexed by it has been living under a rock. To me, it is 100% on brand.
      - hvb2 21d ago
        > I don’t think it would have hurt much to put some advanced warning out there. Let people plan for it. As with a lot of things this administration does, this is where the cruel part comes in. That would be the sensible thing to do, it's just a choice not to. > I don’t think anyone would be surprised if some random South East Asian country did this same thing and nobody would bat an eye. It to be expected that other countries can have wavering policies, it’s when the US does it that people cry about the humanity of it. Because those countries would typically do it with a warning period of some sort, the fallout won't be as much. In general these countries typically don't do this because the legal immigration system is how they pick and choose who to allow in, as the US does. So typically this would be to their advantage. Also, the US is the country that used to call themselves "leader of the free world and all that". So maybe they should hold themselves to high standards? > Also, I don’t think you can challenge a blanket policy. There isn't a policy here that has been changed. It's the executive branch stopping some function it was tasked with. We've seen in the past that they've tried such things many times for the courts to then come in and say that the law says they should do XYZ and so they're forced to resume their work. DOGE stopped a bunch of things that the courts later reinstated, including rehiring the people they fired. Thankfully the executive branch isn't completely unchecked, yet. > Exactly why this should be less of a surprise to those that know how things work and that they may actually get locked out So you would suggest that people cancel their lease, pack up their stuff, don't sign their kids up for school and all? Just on the off chance that this hits right when they're abroad? I think that's just arguing around the issue created here.
- kevmo314 21d ago
  They did make a decision? The current decision is no, that’s what it means to pause applications.
  - hvb2 21d ago
    I don't think you understand anything about an immigration process. All these cases are meticulously documented. So not making a decision is not at all the same as a 'no'. A 'no' you can challenge, a pause not so much. They probably cannot and don't want to actually deny all those applications as they'll be in hot water really quick. So this is just the childish, not wanting to really own it, way of trying to achieve the same result.
    - kevmo314 21d ago
      I'll pause on the response for now since the condescension is not warranted.
      - forestry 21d ago
        Ironic.
      - bubblethink 21d ago
        A pause is different from a refusal which is different from a denial. They have different legal ramifications. It's a Kafkaesque hellscape.
- alphabeta3r56 21d ago
  That's on purpose too. To send a clear signal that we don't want you. It's just a mobster way of doing it.
  - bubblethink 21d ago
    It's not a mobster way, more like a weasel way. The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons. That is bad for the political leadership because they just don't want to issue visas. So they need to invent evasive moves to throttle the pipeline by adding trainings, background checks, and other bogus bureaucratic hurdles.
    - alphabeta3r56 21d ago
      > The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons. No? Visa can be denied for arbitrary reasons based on what executive branch of US. there have been multiple cases where it has been clear that visas are a privilige not a right. Visa needs a reason to be granted, by default it is denied.
      - bubblethink 21d ago
        No, you are confusing discretion with whims of the executive branch. Consular officers have discretion to adjudicate the applications and they can deny them for reasons prescribed in the INA. Those decisions are not reviewable. They are still supposed to follow their training, the FAM, and the INA in making the decisions. If Rubio sends an email to the consulates that says, "deny all visas", that would be illegal as a matter of policy and will be overturned by the courts under the APA. Note that 212(f) (aka Muslim ban from Trump v. Hawaii) gives discretion to the president to bar entry into the country, not visa adjudications. Visa adjudications require individualized determination by the consular officer.
      - mlazos 21d ago
        Laws should not be executed on the whim of the executive branch.
- avazhi 21d ago
  Of course it’s on purpose. That’s the point: to get temp migrants to leave. There’s nothing inhumane about that, and the government is acting within the scope of its authority. In the end this is 100% a political issue and who knows why it is on the HN front page.
  - simonw 21d ago
    I imagine it's on the HN front page because it directly affects the technology careers of a large number of the people who are members of this community - or are coworkers of or employees/employers of members of this community.
    - avazhi 21d ago
      Yes, obviously. But it was rhetorical - this is not specifically tech related and there’s nothing about it that a ‘hacker’ would find innately interesting. It’s just people bitching about a US executive branch decision they disagree with and everybody’s downvoting the side they disagree with, which is exactly the sort of outcome this site ostensibly tries to avoid.
      - simonw 21d ago
        It's important news for the members of this community independent of the politics.
      - MSFT_Edging 21d ago
        Only if your definition of "hacker" is limited to "begging for VC money for your b2b SAAS". Through the entire history of the phrase "hacker", there have been hackers concerned about human rights, political causes, anti-corporate measures, etc. Personally I consider myself a hacker and will not abide by the narrow definition you set forth. I'm a hacker because I'm pissed off that money controls our lives and I seek out to regain control wherever I can.
pjc50 21d ago
> That’s how it’s designed. On purpose. The cruelty is the point. (The UK system requires initial applications from overseas but I believe doesn't require you to leave for renewals)
- ifwinterco 21d ago
  Not at the moment, but the result of the current UK system has been huge uncontrolled levels of immigration leading to deep public resentment, so that may change in the future
  - mschuster91 21d ago
    > leading to deep public resentment That "public resentment" mostly was fueled by a rabid, out of control yellow press and a healthy dose of Russian propaganda spread by Russia-financed entities (Brexit, UKIP and Reform UK all have been shown to have very suspicious links to Russian money).
    - deleted 21d ago
      [deleted]
  - jarym 21d ago
    ‘Uncontrolled’ - surely the control point was the initial application being submitted from abroad? It was very much ‘controlled’. We lost SO many European workers due to the obsession with EU Freedom of Movement that entire sectors like nursing were about to implode without a source of new workers.
  - room271 21d ago
    The system has already been changed and numbers are falling (and have already fallen) quite dramatically. See Fig 2 here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingdecember2025 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populati...
pnt12 21d ago
That's a disfuncional view: "we set the rules, take it or leave it". In Switzerland there are strict requirements, but if you're a law abiding and employed migrant, ie contributing to the country, the services help you fill the paperwork so you can stay. Even considering the disfuncional way, one thing it's to say "you only stay if we allow". The other is to say "you only leave if you allow": that's a much more authoritarian position. These policies will work and immigration will lower for sure. Let's see the outcome in a few years.
aprilthird2021 21d ago
Rather than rights and privileges, think about the economic consequences of this. People will stop coming here for advanced study for advanced research and for advanced industry jobs. And most institutions and companies will accommodate this and try to have such people work from where they are vs fight an onerous government to bring them here. The net result will be damage to the US economy
- mapontosevenths 21d ago
  Our scientists are already leaving. Now we're preventing new ones from entering. This is how you become the Kingdom Of Dumbasses.
  - 1718627440 15d ago
    It's has been renamed to 'Trump' now.
deleted 21d ago
[deleted]
bossyTeacher 21d ago
> You’re approaching it from a perspective where you’re being asked to leave and your reentry is a right. It’s not. They never said, if you leave you can come back. They said, leave and we’ll see. This so much. Ultimately, you are a guest and the host country can kick you out with no notice. UPDATE: Looks like I ruffled some feathers here
malfist 21d ago
I thought we were more civilized that trite "might makes right" philosophy towards other humans.
fearmerchant 21d ago
You're right but I think you're running into the emotional side of the issue for some folks. The "not coming back" angle is a feature not a bug. Saves having to track folks down, potentially detain them, etc.
- estearum 21d ago
  Well no, you're running into the fact that this administration has shown capricious (and often illegal) determination logic of who gets to come in or not. People haven't always complained about this feature/bug/whatever because the US has generally not had people in charge who allow in people charged with sex trafficking (like the Tate brothers) but stop and harass even American citizens who are accused of saying mean things about Israel on the Internet.
  - fearmerchant 20d ago
    I don't follow presidential administrations closely. What's the "often illegal" bit you mentioned?
    - estearum 20d ago
      https://www.npr.org/2026/08/22/nx-s1-5941765/trump-immigration-visa-ban-75-countries https://www.npr.org/2026/08/22/nx-s1-5941765/trump-immigrati... https://apnews.com/article/trump-asylum-appeals-court-ed8f8f193579b757d7f384cd7f9e9e60 https://apnews.com/article/trump-asylum-appeals-court-ed8f8f...

hvb2 21d ago

> I feel like I’ve said it a few times but - Yes, exactly. The country wants you to leave and then get’s to decide if you can come back. That’s how it’s designed. On purpose. That is how it's designed, and that's fine. But make a decision... They're pausing the decision making for an indefinite amount of time. That's not how it was designed, but it sure does look like that's on purpose.

j_maffe 21d ago
The Purpose of a System is What it Does.
- vintermann 20d ago
  The Word Purpose was Invented Precisely to Distinguish Between What a System Does and What it Ought to Do. Less catchy, but damn, I hate that slogan.
conductr 21d ago
Pause is a silly way of saying No for now. You can try again later. But they’re not advising when that may be happening. To me, that tells you everything you need to know. That they don’t know themselves because it’s to be determined, maybe. Until then, no.
- hvb2 21d ago
  > You can try again later. Can they? Because one of the questions on these questionnaires is almost always 'have you had a prior request being denied'. > But they’re not advising when that may be happening. To me, that tells you everything you need to know. These are life altering decisions for people that might have put decades into doing their best for the US. This is not about what to have for dinner. This causes a LOT of uncertainty and chaos for no real reason. If they're so convinced it should all be denied, then issue those denials so they can be challenged.
  - conductr 21d ago
    So maybe you have stated a reason a pause is better than an explicit no. No history of a denial is maybe a better thing. I get the human component but I can separate that from policy. I have my own risk assessment on it and it’s that I couldn’t imagine ever making any material investment financial or community in a place like this. I’ve thought about doing the digital nomad thing in the past, and I don’t think anyone would be surprised if some random South East Asian country did this same thing and nobody would bat an eye. It to be expected that other countries can have wavering policies, it’s when the US does it that people cry about the humanity of it. I don’t think it would have hurt much to put some advanced warning out there. Let people plan for it. But I also know that probably has some blow back towards the intended outcome of this. Also, I don’t think you can challenge a blanket policy. I haven’t really dove into this but it doesn’t sound like they’re making any exceptions. The current administration loves creating chaos and uncertainty. Exactly why this should be less of a surprise to those that know how things work and that they may actually get locked out. Anyone who reads even just the headline of this and is perplexed by it has been living under a rock. To me, it is 100% on brand.
    - hvb2 21d ago
      > I don’t think it would have hurt much to put some advanced warning out there. Let people plan for it. As with a lot of things this administration does, this is where the cruel part comes in. That would be the sensible thing to do, it's just a choice not to. > I don’t think anyone would be surprised if some random South East Asian country did this same thing and nobody would bat an eye. It to be expected that other countries can have wavering policies, it’s when the US does it that people cry about the humanity of it. Because those countries would typically do it with a warning period of some sort, the fallout won't be as much. In general these countries typically don't do this because the legal immigration system is how they pick and choose who to allow in, as the US does. So typically this would be to their advantage. Also, the US is the country that used to call themselves "leader of the free world and all that". So maybe they should hold themselves to high standards? > Also, I don’t think you can challenge a blanket policy. There isn't a policy here that has been changed. It's the executive branch stopping some function it was tasked with. We've seen in the past that they've tried such things many times for the courts to then come in and say that the law says they should do XYZ and so they're forced to resume their work. DOGE stopped a bunch of things that the courts later reinstated, including rehiring the people they fired. Thankfully the executive branch isn't completely unchecked, yet. > Exactly why this should be less of a surprise to those that know how things work and that they may actually get locked out So you would suggest that people cancel their lease, pack up their stuff, don't sign their kids up for school and all? Just on the off chance that this hits right when they're abroad? I think that's just arguing around the issue created here.
kevmo314 21d ago
They did make a decision? The current decision is no, that’s what it means to pause applications.
- hvb2 21d ago
  I don't think you understand anything about an immigration process. All these cases are meticulously documented. So not making a decision is not at all the same as a 'no'. A 'no' you can challenge, a pause not so much. They probably cannot and don't want to actually deny all those applications as they'll be in hot water really quick. So this is just the childish, not wanting to really own it, way of trying to achieve the same result.
  - kevmo314 21d ago
    I'll pause on the response for now since the condescension is not warranted.
    - forestry 21d ago
      Ironic.
    - bubblethink 21d ago
      A pause is different from a refusal which is different from a denial. They have different legal ramifications. It's a Kafkaesque hellscape.
alphabeta3r56 21d ago
That's on purpose too. To send a clear signal that we don't want you. It's just a mobster way of doing it.
- bubblethink 21d ago
  It's not a mobster way, more like a weasel way. The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons. That is bad for the political leadership because they just don't want to issue visas. So they need to invent evasive moves to throttle the pipeline by adding trainings, background checks, and other bogus bureaucratic hurdles.
  - alphabeta3r56 21d ago
    > The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons. No? Visa can be denied for arbitrary reasons based on what executive branch of US. there have been multiple cases where it has been clear that visas are a privilige not a right. Visa needs a reason to be granted, by default it is denied.
    - bubblethink 21d ago
      No, you are confusing discretion with whims of the executive branch. Consular officers have discretion to adjudicate the applications and they can deny them for reasons prescribed in the INA. Those decisions are not reviewable. They are still supposed to follow their training, the FAM, and the INA in making the decisions. If Rubio sends an email to the consulates that says, "deny all visas", that would be illegal as a matter of policy and will be overturned by the courts under the APA. Note that 212(f) (aka Muslim ban from Trump v. Hawaii) gives discretion to the president to bar entry into the country, not visa adjudications. Visa adjudications require individualized determination by the consular officer.
    - mlazos 21d ago
      Laws should not be executed on the whim of the executive branch.
avazhi 21d ago
Of course it’s on purpose. That’s the point: to get temp migrants to leave. There’s nothing inhumane about that, and the government is acting within the scope of its authority. In the end this is 100% a political issue and who knows why it is on the HN front page.
- simonw 21d ago
  I imagine it's on the HN front page because it directly affects the technology careers of a large number of the people who are members of this community - or are coworkers of or employees/employers of members of this community.
  - avazhi 21d ago
    Yes, obviously. But it was rhetorical - this is not specifically tech related and there’s nothing about it that a ‘hacker’ would find innately interesting. It’s just people bitching about a US executive branch decision they disagree with and everybody’s downvoting the side they disagree with, which is exactly the sort of outcome this site ostensibly tries to avoid.
    - simonw 21d ago
      It's important news for the members of this community independent of the politics.
    - MSFT_Edging 21d ago
      Only if your definition of "hacker" is limited to "begging for VC money for your b2b SAAS". Through the entire history of the phrase "hacker", there have been hackers concerned about human rights, political causes, anti-corporate measures, etc. Personally I consider myself a hacker and will not abide by the narrow definition you set forth. I'm a hacker because I'm pissed off that money controls our lives and I seek out to regain control wherever I can.

pjc50 21d ago

> That’s how it’s designed. On purpose. The cruelty is the point. (The UK system requires initial applications from overseas but I believe doesn't require you to leave for renewals)

ifwinterco 21d ago
Not at the moment, but the result of the current UK system has been huge uncontrolled levels of immigration leading to deep public resentment, so that may change in the future
- mschuster91 21d ago
  > leading to deep public resentment That "public resentment" mostly was fueled by a rabid, out of control yellow press and a healthy dose of Russian propaganda spread by Russia-financed entities (Brexit, UKIP and Reform UK all have been shown to have very suspicious links to Russian money).
  - deleted 21d ago
    [deleted]
- jarym 21d ago
  ‘Uncontrolled’ - surely the control point was the initial application being submitted from abroad? It was very much ‘controlled’. We lost SO many European workers due to the obsession with EU Freedom of Movement that entire sectors like nursing were about to implode without a source of new workers.
- room271 21d ago
  The system has already been changed and numbers are falling (and have already fallen) quite dramatically. See Fig 2 here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/longterminternationalmigrationprovisional/yearendingdecember2025 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populati...

pnt12 21d ago

That's a disfuncional view: "we set the rules, take it or leave it". In Switzerland there are strict requirements, but if you're a law abiding and employed migrant, ie contributing to the country, the services help you fill the paperwork so you can stay. Even considering the disfuncional way, one thing it's to say "you only stay if we allow". The other is to say "you only leave if you allow": that's a much more authoritarian position. These policies will work and immigration will lower for sure. Let's see the outcome in a few years.

aprilthird2021 21d ago

Rather than rights and privileges, think about the economic consequences of this. People will stop coming here for advanced study for advanced research and for advanced industry jobs. And most institutions and companies will accommodate this and try to have such people work from where they are vs fight an onerous government to bring them here. The net result will be damage to the US economy

mapontosevenths 21d ago
Our scientists are already leaving. Now we're preventing new ones from entering. This is how you become the Kingdom Of Dumbasses.
- 1718627440 15d ago
  It's has been renamed to 'Trump' now.

deleted 21d ago

[deleted]

bossyTeacher 21d ago

> You’re approaching it from a perspective where you’re being asked to leave and your reentry is a right. It’s not. They never said, if you leave you can come back. They said, leave and we’ll see. This so much. Ultimately, you are a guest and the host country can kick you out with no notice. UPDATE: Looks like I ruffled some feathers here

malfist 21d ago

I thought we were more civilized that trite "might makes right" philosophy towards other humans.

fearmerchant 21d ago

You're right but I think you're running into the emotional side of the issue for some folks. The "not coming back" angle is a feature not a bug. Saves having to track folks down, potentially detain them, etc.

estearum 21d ago
Well no, you're running into the fact that this administration has shown capricious (and often illegal) determination logic of who gets to come in or not. People haven't always complained about this feature/bug/whatever because the US has generally not had people in charge who allow in people charged with sex trafficking (like the Tate brothers) but stop and harass even American citizens who are accused of saying mean things about Israel on the Internet.
- fearmerchant 20d ago
  I don't follow presidential administrations closely. What's the "often illegal" bit you mentioned?
  - estearum 20d ago
    https://www.npr.org/2026/08/22/nx-s1-5941765/trump-immigration-visa-ban-75-countries https://www.npr.org/2026/08/22/nx-s1-5941765/trump-immigrati... https://apnews.com/article/trump-asylum-appeals-court-ed8f8f193579b757d7f384cd7f9e9e60 https://apnews.com/article/trump-asylum-appeals-court-ed8f8f...