從硅谷挖走創業者,沒那麼容易

SAN FRANCISCO — A bold new billboard looms over U.S. 101, the highway that runs through the heart of the global technology industry. "H-1b problems?" it reads. "Pivot to Canada."

舊金山——一個搶眼的新廣告牌赫然立在貫穿全球科技行業心臟的美國國道101旁。“H-1b簽證有問題？”廣告牌寫着，“轉道加拿大吧。”

That sassy invitation is directed at the thousands of foreigners having trouble getting temporary visas, known as H-1b's, to work in the United States. Canada's new so-called start-up visa offers them the prospect of permanent residency and with it, the country's relatively low business taxes and public health insurance.

這一語氣活潑的邀請針對的是數以千計難以獲得美國臨時簽證H-1b，而不能在美國工作的外國人。加拿大新推出的所謂創業簽證，可以讓持有人可能在未來獲得永久居留權，享受該國相對較低的企業稅，並享受公共醫療保險。

Canada is not alone in reaching out to foreign entrepreneurs. In a bid to create their own versions of Silicon Valley, Britain and Australia have dangled start-up visas like this too. Chile is even offering seed money to lure foreigners to come to Santiago and get their start-ups off the ground.

加拿大不是唯一一個向外國創業者伸出橄欖枝的國家。爲了創建它們自己的硅谷，英國和澳大利亞也推出了這樣的創業簽證。智利甚至向外國人提供種子資金，吸引他們來聖地亞哥創辦公司。

But the seductions of this Silicon Valley are hard to resist for the men and women who dream of building the next Google (or at least being the next Google acquisition). This is where they want to be.

但對於那些夢想創辦下一個谷歌公司(Google)，或者至少創辦一家能被谷歌收購的企業的男男女女來說，硅谷的誘惑力難以抵抗。這裏纔是他們的想來的地方。

"It's like being in Florence during the Renaissance," is how Xavier Lasa, a Spanish computer coder, put it recently. He sounded dead serious. He had come to Mountain View, just south of San Francisco, on a short-term business visa to join a technology incubator program called 500 Startups. He was building a tool for brands to advertise on the Web.

“這就像是在文藝復興時期來到佛羅倫薩，”西班牙程序員哈維爾·拉薩(Xavier Lasa)最近這樣說，聽起來他真是這樣想的。他持短期商務簽證來到舊金山南部的山景市，參加一個名爲“500創業”(500 Startups)的科技孵化器項目。他在打造一個供企業在網上發佈廣告的工具。

Like many foreign tech entrepreneurs angling to stay here, he had his eyes on Washington, not Ottawa. The landmark immigration bill that the full Senate is to take up next week includes a provision that Silicon Valley investors have pressed hard for: a new visa category for entrepreneurs who have persuaded American investors to back them with at least $100,000 in financing.

就像很多打算留在這裏的外國科技產業創業者一樣，他的目光關注的是華盛頓，而不是渥太華。參議院全體議員將在下週審議一部標誌性的移民法案，該法案包括一項硅谷投資者奮力爭取的條款：爲那些說服美國投資者投資至少10萬美元（約合61萬元人民幣）資金的創業者提供新的簽證類別。

Never mind that immigrants don't need special visas to be entrepreneurial; research shows that they are far more likely than native-born Americans to start businesses. Start-up visas are an easy political sell, which also explains Canada's latest gamble.

儘管移民並不是需要特殊的簽證纔會具有創業精神，但是調查顯示他們比本土美國人更傾向於創業。創業簽證在政治上很容易推行，這也是加拿大最近賭上一把的原因。

When Canada's immigration minister, Jason T. Kenney, came to visit 500 Startups recently, on a gloriously sunny Friday afternoon, he got a taste of what attracts foreigners. Dave McClure, a co-founder of the incubator, took him straight to the wall-to-wall 12th-floor window.

在一個陽光燦爛的週五下午，當加拿大移民部部長賈森·T·肯尼(Jason T. Kenney)前來參觀“500創業”項目時，他領略到了此地能夠吸引外國人的原因。該孵化器項目的聯合創始人戴夫·麥克盧爾(Dave McClure)直接帶着他來到12層的落地窗前。

"Facebook is that way," Mr. McClure said, pointing to the 360-degree view. "You can see Apple over there."

“Facebook在那個方向，”麥克盧爾說，指點着360度的視野，“在那兒，你可以看到蘋果公司(Apple)。”

The new Canadian visa is not for tech entrepreneurs per se, but the venture capital requirements favor technology start-ups over more traditional immigrant businesses, like corner shops and restaurants. And the offer is far more generous than its American counterpart.

新的加拿大簽證實際上並不是專門爲科技創業者設立的，但風險投資的要求更傾向於科技創業公司，而不是傳統的移民行業，如街角的小店和餐館。加拿大提供的優惠也遠遠高於美國。

Anyone with one year of college and 75,000 Canadian dollars from an approved Canadian angel investor, or 200,000 Canadian dollars from an approved Canadian venture capitalist, can apply for the visa. Applicants need to be able to speak basic English or French. They need not prove they will create any jobs.

任何人只要上過一年大學，並從獲批的加拿大天使投資人那裏得到7.5萬加元（約合44.5萬元人民幣）投資，或者從獲批的加拿大風險投資人那裏得到20萬加元的投資，就可以申請該簽證。申請人需擁有基本的英語或法語水平，他們不需證明自己會創造工作崗位。

American lawmakers have opted for a more cautious approach. The proposed Senate bill would grant temporary visas valid for three years, unlike Canada, which would grant permanent residency. The Department of Homeland Security would have to report to Congress every three years on what kinds of businesses the recipients create, how many jobs they produce, and how much revenue.

美國的議員則選擇了一種更爲謹慎的方式。這項在參議院提出的法案可以批准有效期爲三年的臨時簽證，不像加拿大那樣會批准永久居留權。美國國土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)必須每隔三年向國會彙報：持有簽證的人創辦了何種經營業務，他們帶來了多少就業，營業收入是多少。

It is not geared toward entrepreneurs in any specific industry, though the rhetoric around it has centered mainly on technology. Technology investors, like Mr. McClure, have been actively pushing for it.

法案並不針對某一特定行業的創業者，但關於它的討論都主要集中在科技領域。像麥克盧爾那樣的科技投資者一直在積極推動它的通過。

"From a political perspective, the goal of the start-up visas is to demonstrate they're bringing in the sexiest, highest-value people," said Madeleine Sumption, assistant director for research at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, who has studied start-up visa programs worldwide.

“從一個政治的角度去看，創業簽證的目的就是要證明，它們會帶來最性感、最高價值的人，”華盛頓移民政策研究所(Migration Policy Institute)助理主任馬德琳·薩普欣(Madeleine Sumption)說，她研究過世界各地的創業簽證項目。

But, she pointed out, most immigrant entrepreneurs — Google's co-founder, Sergey Brin, included — come in on other visas. "You don't need an entrepreneur visa to have entrepreneurs," she added. "You would have to let in a lot of people before you guarantee some Sergey Brins."

然而她指出，多數移民創業者，包括谷歌的聯合創始人謝爾蓋·布林(Sergey Brin)，都是持其他類型的簽證來到美國。“你不需要一張創業者簽證來吸引創業者，”她補充說，“你必須先讓很多人進來，纔可以保證能有幾個謝爾蓋·布林。”

Australia offers its version of a green card to those who secure 1 million Australian dollars in financing from approved Australian venture capitalists. Britain offers temporary visas to those who procure ￡50,000 from a venture backer. Chile doles out $40,000 in equity-free seed capital to foreign visitors who want to start a technology business.

對於那些能從獲准的風險投資家那裏取得100萬澳元（約合579萬元人民幣）融資的人，澳大利亞會簽發一種它的綠卡。英國會爲能夠從一位風險投資人那裏取得5萬英鎊（約合47萬元人民幣）的人提供臨時簽證。而智利會給那些想要開辦科技企業的外國訪客一筆4萬美元的無股權種子資金。

Ayan Barua, from India, has already spent six months in Chile and taken advantage of its offer. Even though his girlfriend, who is Australian, has tried to persuade him to apply for her country's start-up visa, he has resisted. Instead, he and his business partner, Vamshi Mokshagundam, have returned to Silicon Valley repeatedly to develop their business, a recommendation engine for businesses shopping for software.

來自印度的阿揚·巴魯阿(Ayan Barua)已經在智利待了六個月，並利用了這一政策。雖然他的澳大利亞女友也試圖勸他申請澳大利亞的創業簽證，他還是拒絕了。他和他的商業夥伴萬姆希·莫可沙關丹姆(Vamshi Mokshagundam)轉而多次回到硅谷來發展他們的業務，這是一家爲企業購買軟件而建立的推薦引擎。

Their funders are here, they said, as are their initial customers. So too are other entrepreneurs whose guidance they seek. "It's hard to find advice and mentorship anywhere else," Mr. Mokshagundam said. "That's a big deal for us."

他們表示，投資人在這裏，他們最早的客戶也在這裏。還有那些他們尋求指導的企業家也在這裏。“很難在任何其他地方找到合適的建議和指導，”莫可沙關丹姆說，“而這對我們來說很重要。”

Mr. Barua described California as the N.B.A. of the start-up world. "The adrenaline rush you need as an entrepreneur is here," he said.

巴魯阿將加利福尼亞描繪成創業世界裏的NBA。“這裏有你作爲一個企業家所需的洶涌的腎上腺素，”他說。

If the omnibus immigration bill winding its way through the Senate were to become law, he said, he would absolutely apply.

他說，如果這項綜合移民法案能獲得參議院的通過，成爲法律，他一定會提出申請。

If it did not, he and his partner said they might consider the Canadian visa. They would still want to come to Silicon Valley as often as possible. But they could use Canada as their base, as they use Bangalore, India, now. "It would be a shorter flight," Mr. Mokshagundam said.

如果通不過，他和他的商業夥伴說，他們可能考慮加拿大的創業簽證。他們還是希望能經常來硅谷，越經常越好。但他們會以加拿大作爲基地，就像他們現在以印度的班加羅爾作爲基地一樣。“飛行時間會短一些，”莫可沙關丹姆說。