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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."
旧金山——一个抢眼的新广告牌赫然立在贯穿全球科技行业心脏的美国国道101旁。“H-1b签证有问题？”广告牌写着，“转道加拿大吧。”
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.
这一语气活泼的邀请针对的是数以千计难以获得美国临时签证H-1b，而不能在美国工作的外国人。加拿大新推出的所谓创业签证，可以让持有人可能在未来获得永久居留权，享受该国相对较低的企业税，并享受公共医疗保险。
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.
加拿大不是唯一一个向外国创业者伸出橄榄枝的国家。为了创建它们自己的硅谷，英国和澳大利亚也推出了这样的创业签证。智利甚至向外国人提供种子资金，吸引他们来圣地亚哥创办公司。
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.
但对于那些梦想创办下一个谷歌公司(Google)，或者至少创办一家能被谷歌收购的企业的男男女女来说，硅谷的诱惑力难以抵抗。这里才是他们的想来的地方。
"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.
“这就像是在文艺复兴时期来到佛罗伦萨，”西班牙程序员哈维尔·拉萨(Xavier Lasa)最近这样说，听起来他真是这样想的。他持短期商务签证来到旧金山南部的山景市，参加一个名为“500创业”(500 Startups)的科技孵化器项目。他在打造一个供企业在网上发布广告的工具。
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.
就像很多打算留在这里的外国科技产业创业者一样，他的目光关注的是华盛顿，而不是渥太华。参议院全体议员将在下周审议一部标志性的移民法案，该法案包括一项硅谷投资者奋力争取的条款：为那些说服美国投资者投资至少10万美元（约合61万元人民币）资金的创业者提供新的签证类别。
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.
尽管移民并不是需要特殊的签证才会具有创业精神，但是调查显示他们比本土美国人更倾向于创业。创业签证在政治上很容易推行，这也是加拿大最近赌上一把的原因。
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.
在一个阳光灿烂的周五下午，当加拿大移民部部长贾森·T·肯尼(Jason T. Kenney)前来参观“500创业”项目时，他领略到了此地能够吸引外国人的原因。该孵化器项目的联合创始人戴夫·麦克卢尔(Dave McClure)直接带着他来到12层的落地窗前。
"Facebook is that way," Mr. McClure said, pointing to the 360-degree view. "You can see Apple over there."
“Facebook在那个方向，”麦克卢尔说，指点着360度的视野，“在那儿，你可以看到苹果公司(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.
新的加拿大签证实际上并不是专门为科技创业者设立的，但风险投资的要求更倾向于科技创业公司，而不是传统的移民行业，如街角的小店和餐馆。加拿大提供的优惠也远远高于美国。
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.
任何人只要上过一年大学，并从获批的加拿大天使投资人那里得到7.5万加元（约合44.5万元人民币）投资，或者从获批的加拿大风险投资人那里得到20万加元的投资，就可以申请该签证。申请人需拥有基本的英语或法语水平，他们不需证明自己会创造工作岗位。
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.
美国的议员则选择了一种更为谨慎的方式。这项在参议院提出的法案可以批准有效期为三年的临时签证，不像加拿大那样会批准永久居留权。美国国土安全部(Department of Homeland Security)必须每隔三年向国会汇报：持有签证的人创办了何种经营业务，他们带来了多少就业，营业收入是多少。
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.
法案并不针对某一特定行业的创业者，但关于它的讨论都主要集中在科技领域。像麦克卢尔那样的科技投资者一直在积极推动它的通过。
"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.
“从一个政治的角度去看，创业签证的目的就是要证明，它们会带来最性感、最高价值的人，”华盛顿移民政策研究所(Migration Policy Institute)助理主任马德琳·萨普欣(Madeleine Sumption)说，她研究过世界各地的创业签证项目。
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，多数移民创业者，包括谷歌的联合创始人谢尔盖·布林(Sergey Brin)，都是持其他类型的签证来到美国。“你不需要一张创业者签证来吸引创业者，”她补充说，“你必须先让很多人进来，才可以保证能有几个谢尔盖·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.
对于那些能从获准的风险投资家那里取得100万澳元（约合579万元人民币）融资的人，澳大利亚会签发一种它的绿卡。英国会为能够从一位风险投资人那里取得5万英镑（约合47万元人民币）的人提供临时签证。而智利会给那些想要开办科技企业的外国访客一笔4万美元的无股权种子资金。
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.
来自印度的阿扬·巴鲁阿(Ayan Barua)已经在智利待了六个月，并利用了这一政策。虽然他的澳大利亚女友也试图劝他申请澳大利亚的创业签证，他还是拒绝了。他和他的商业伙伴万姆希·莫可沙关丹姆(Vamshi Mokshagundam)转而多次回到硅谷来发展他们的业务，这是一家为企业购买软件而建立的推荐引擎。
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."
他们表示，投资人在这里，他们最早的客户也在这里。还有那些他们寻求指导的企业家也在这里。“很难在任何其他地方找到合适的建议和指导，”莫可沙关丹姆说，“而这对我们来说很重要。”
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.
巴鲁阿将加利福尼亚描绘成创业世界里的NBA。“这里有你作为一个企业家所需的汹涌的肾上腺素，”他说。
If the omnibus immigration bill winding its way through the Senate were to become law, he said, he would absolutely apply.
他说，如果这项综合移民法案能获得参议院的通过，成为法律，他一定会提出申请。
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.
如果通不过，他和他的商业伙伴说，他们可能考虑加拿大的创业签证。他们还是希望能经常来硅谷，越经常越好。但他们会以加拿大作为基地，就像他们现在以印度的班加罗尔作为基地一样。“飞行时间会短一些，”莫可沙关丹姆说。
