Senate Bill Would Make for Smoother U.S. Entry for Foreign Entrepreneurs

[abe1]

Hope some of you might have seen the Wall Street Journal story this weekend on visas/Green Cards for owners of start-up businesses. (Foreign Entrepreneurs Eye StartUp Visa Act - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704694004576020001550357580-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwNTEyNDUyWj.html) )

According to the story there is broad consensus for a program to offer green card to foreign nationals who can bring in as low as $100,000 to start a new business in U.S. While this may not be an option for most of the folks in this forum, the premise of the proposed law has something in common with all of us.

The law is proposed by senators John Kerry (D) and Richard Lugar (R) on the principle that immigrants are more willing to be entrepreneurial and hence offering permanent residency to foreigners who will open a small business will increase the employment opportunities in U.S. Endorsing the entrepreneurial mind of new immigrants WSJ sights that; “Immigrants are nearly 30% more likely to start a business than non-immigrants ” and “about a third of Silicon Valley technology firms were started by Indian or Chinese entrepreneurs” . If the proposed bill is attempting to attract skilled and entrepreneurial minded immigrants into U.S. as a means to increase employment why not U.S. look into the pool of highly skilled and eager folks waiting for a green card for many years? Wouldn’t these folks be highly likely to open a new small business than someone from outside of the U.S. with no U.S. business background? If we are to take cues from the one third of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs wouldn’t a good number of these people waiting for green card open up the starts up businesses that senators Kerry and Lugar are hoping to .

Would it be worth writing on behalf of Immigration Voice to senators Kerry and Lugar to consider the pool of potential entrepreneurs minded people already in U.S. and have been waiting for an opportunity to realize their entrepreneurial dreams? I don’t have the actual numbers. Aren’t there about 30 or 40,000 people who have been in U.S. with an approved immigration petition but waiting for a green card for many years? Could IV put forward a win-win propositions for everyone?

[gimmemygreen]

Now the new price for GC is 100 grand

[dval_dpal]

hello guys...

i'm about to spend 180k to open a business in month or so....am i eligible for this?

thank you for your inputs..

[vbkris77]

So many bills are introduced but most don't even see day of light.. I personally don't see this ever passing the congress.. For most treaty countries this feature is already available and its called E1/E2 visa.. There is no limit on number of people and number years for visa.




Hope some of you might have seen the Wall Street Journal story this weekend on visas/Green Cards for owners of start-up businesses. (Foreign Entrepreneurs Eye StartUp Visa Act - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704694004576020001550357580-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwNTEyNDUyWj.html) )

According to the story there is broad consensus for a program to offer green card to foreign nationals who can bring in as low as $100,000 to start a new business in U.S. While this may not be an option for most of the folks in this forum, the premise of the proposed law has something in common with all of us.

The law is proposed by senators John Kerry (D) and Richard Lugar (R) on the principle that immigrants are more willing to be entrepreneurial and hence offering permanent residency to foreigners who will open a small business will increase the employment opportunities in U.S. Endorsing the entrepreneurial mind of new immigrants WSJ sights that; “Immigrants are nearly 30% more likely to start a business than non-immigrants ” and “about a third of Silicon Valley technology firms were started by Indian or Chinese entrepreneurs” . If the proposed bill is attempting to attract skilled and entrepreneurial minded immigrants into U.S. as a means to increase employment why not U.S. look into the pool of highly skilled and eager folks waiting for a green card for many years? Wouldn’t these folks be highly likely to open a new small business than someone from outside of the U.S. with no U.S. business background? If we are to take cues from the one third of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs wouldn’t a good number of these people waiting for green card open up the starts up businesses that senators Kerry and Lugar are hoping to .

Would it be worth writing on behalf of Immigration Voice to senators Kerry and Lugar to consider the pool of potential entrepreneurs minded people already in U.S. and have been waiting for an opportunity to realize their entrepreneurial dreams? I don’t have the actual numbers. Aren’t there about 30 or 40,000 people who have been in U.S. with an approved immigration petition but waiting for a green card for many years? Could IV put forward a win-win propositions for everyone?

[Motivated]

So many bills are introduced but most don't even see day of light.. I personally don't see this ever passing the congress.. For most treaty countries this feature is already available and its called E1/E2 visa.. There is no limit on number of people and number years for visa.

Exactly, many bills are introduced, but >80% of them do not come out of the committees. If the bill has support form a large number of legislators then it has a chance! Besides Lugar and Kerry who else supports this bill?

[abe1]

I understand that this bill many not pass or even move any forward. I thought two senior senators from both parties showing interest in this topic is a great opportunity for IV to present our case in a different light. We have been clamoring about the difficulties we are facing because of the present delay in green card processing. Unfortunately this is only our problem and no one else really has to be bothered about it. If we present our case in a mutually beneficial point of view perhaps some of the politicians will have little more interest in our situation. Remember JFK’s famous words…”Ask not what the country can do for you….” If we write to Senators Kerry and Lugar now, even if the bill does not pass, they will consider our situation slightly differently next time CIR or another immigration bill is introduced in the congress. I think IV ought to present our case in all different angles possible rather than the one way approach of expecting mercy in our situation. Most importantly, I think the premise of the proposed Kerry/Lugar bill is very much applicable the folks in IV. Aren’t many people in this forum waiting for an opportunity to do some business on their own? That is how new immigrants in America have always been. We shouldn’t be any different. I am sure we cannot bring in the capital that senators are looking for. But why don’t they view us slightly differently?

[keerthisagar]

75% of us in this forum do not qualify for the legislation being proposed here!

[eastindia]

I understand that this bill many not pass or even move any forward. I thought two senior senators from both parties showing interest in this topic is a great opportunity for IV to present our case in a different light. We have been clamoring about the difficulties we are facing because of the present delay in green card processing. Unfortunately this is only our problem and no one else really has to be bothered about it. If we present our case in a mutually beneficial point of view perhaps some of the politicians will have little more interest in our situation. Remember JFK’s famous words…”Ask not what the country can do for you….” If we write to Senators Kerry and Lugar now, even if the bill does not pass, they will consider our situation slightly differently next time CIR or another immigration bill is introduced in the congress. I think IV ought to present our case in all different angles possible rather than the one way approach of expecting mercy in our situation. Most importantly, I think the premise of the proposed Kerry/Lugar bill is very much applicable the folks in IV. Aren’t many people in this forum waiting for an opportunity to do some business on their own? That is how new immigrants in America have always been. We shouldn’t be any different. I am sure we cannot bring in the capital that senators are looking for. But why don’t they view us slightly differently?

If it is a great opportunity, why dont everyone work on it. Start with investing in IV and taking part in it. IV is you and me.

75% of us in this forum do not qualify for the legislation being proposed here!

You are saying we folks cannot even invest 100K into business?

Even if I agree with you for a second. According to you out of 50 thousand IV members 10 thousand members qualify for this legislation. 10 thousand is a very big number.
Where are these ten thousand members? Even if these 10 thousand members invest $25 per month to lobby this bill it will be 250K per month to lobby. This is a huge amount and they can lobby this bill easily. The problem I see in IV is that out of 50 thousand people only 50 people have $25 per month to invest to lobby their own issues. Rest everyone is just sitting here and only contributing opinions.

[forever_waiting]

It has happened several times in the past when a members thought a certain bill had a lot of scope...then started advocating on the forums for IV to take up the cause and start lobbying for it...and if it didnt work out or no one showed interest, IV core team ended up receiving brickbats that they never put in the neccessary efforts. This is just a fact.
The advocacy and lobbying for any bill doesnt follow the "top-down" but the "bottom-up" approach. IV can coordnate lobbying and advocacy at the national level but requires our members across the country to meet with their lawmakers to get specific responses on whether they will support that bill.
IV usually lobbies or works on bills that seem to have some traction in Congress. If members are very sure that there are other bills that should be focussed on - they should gather together the numbers (i.e. members who think this will help), meet with lawmakers in their districts - try to find co-sponsors for the bills. Then, if truly a momentum exists - the IV core team can step in and help with additional lobbying.
I have met 3 congressmen in my area - one is an anti-immig and the other two fully support EB legislation but at this point are judging the climate in the new Congress.

As another member stated IV is "me and you". And the bottomline is asking IV to take up a cause is not the right approach. Advocacy and the momentum has to be started by the members.