Startup Act 2.0

[obi1]

Recently, a group of legislators from both parties introduced this bill - Startup Act 2.0 (H.R. 5893) - GovTrack.us.

Here is a summary of the relevant immigration portions of the bill:
Startup Act 2.0 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS)to adjust to conditional permanent resident status up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM field) and permit such an alien to remain in the United States:
(1) for up to one year after the expiration of the alien's student visa, if the alien is searching for STEM field employment; and
(2) indefinitely if the alien remains actively engaged in a STEM field.
Removes a STEM alien's conditional status after five years of maintaining eligibility during the entire five-year period.
Authorizes the Secretary to issue conditional immigrant visas to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs.
Removes such conditional basis after four years of maintaining qualified entrepreneur status.
Eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based visas.
Increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas.
Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual People's Republic of China immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act.

I am particularly drawn to SEC. 216B - CONDITIONAL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR ALIENS WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN A STEM FIELD. It is definitely a step in the right direction. However, based on the clause with states that "Every alien applying for a conditional permanent resident status under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Homeland Security before the expiration of the alien’s student visa", it appears to be only favorable to FUTURE graduates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields. It does not address international students who have graduated in a STEM field in recent years and have stayed back in the US to work as highly skilled workers (such as H1B) but are no where closer to obtaining permanent resident status due to the current complicated process and the almost indefinite wait times. Like all endeavors, STEM are fields whose practitioners only get better with time. While students just leaving the university with advanced degrees in STEM are definitely highly skilled, it is also true that a few years down the line, with additional work experience, such graduates are better equipped to innovate and contribute to the economy by starting businesses and employing others.

Removing the clause in the Startup Act 2.0 that limits this to only recent graduates will help the large number of US graduates currently seeking permanent resident status based on employment and will free up the government's resources to do a better job of clearing up the backlogs in other green card application categories.

I believe we should make our voice on this bill heard as it snakes through the various committees. What do you think?

[honest123]

Since recent STEM graudates not applied in this act, does it mean that if any graduates who have graduated recently or on H-1B got laid off or some back home should be immigrated by "entreprenur status"??????

[pappu]

Originally Posted by obi1

Recently, a group of legislators from both parties introduced this bill - Startup Act 2.0 (H.R. 5893) - GovTrack.us.

Here is a summary of the relevant immigration portions of the bill:
Startup Act 2.0 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS)to adjust to conditional permanent resident status up to 50,000 aliens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field (STEM field) and permit such an alien to remain in the United States:
(1) for up to one year after the expiration of the alien's student visa, if the alien is searching for STEM field employment; and
(2) indefinitely if the alien remains actively engaged in a STEM field.
Removes a STEM alien's conditional status after five years of maintaining eligibility during the entire five-year period.
Authorizes the Secretary to issue conditional immigrant visas to up to 75,000 qualified alien entrepreneurs.
Removes such conditional basis after four years of maintaining qualified entrepreneur status.
Eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based visas.
Increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas.
Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual People's Republic of China immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act.

I am particularly drawn to SEC. 216B - CONDITIONAL PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR ALIENS WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN A STEM FIELD. It is definitely a step in the right direction. However, based on the clause with states that "Every alien applying for a conditional permanent resident status under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary of Homeland Security before the expiration of the alien’s student visa", it appears to be only favorable to FUTURE graduates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields. It does not address international students who have graduated in a STEM field in recent years and have stayed back in the US to work as highly skilled workers (such as H1B) but are no where closer to obtaining permanent resident status due to the current complicated process and the almost indefinite wait times. Like all endeavors, STEM are fields whose practitioners only get better with time. While students just leaving the university with advanced degrees in STEM are definitely highly skilled, it is also true that a few years down the line, with additional work experience, such graduates are better equipped to innovate and contribute to the economy by starting businesses and employing others.

Removing the clause in the Startup Act 2.0 that limits this to only recent graduates will help the large number of US graduates currently seeking permanent resident status based on employment and will free up the government's resources to do a better job of clearing up the backlogs in other green card application categories.

I believe we should make our voice on this bill heard as it snakes through the various committees. What do you think?

Yes. Definitely. We agree we need to make our voices heard.
But do not disappear after creating a new iv profile and posting a new thread.
Join the IV efforts. There is a big drive going on for HR3012 on another thread. We look forward for your participation.

It seems people come, open a new thread for a bill, ask others to work on it and go away. There is another thread on this startup act http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/fo...act-2-0-a.html (Startup Act 2.0)
it was opened and the person did not even visit IV again. What's up with this act? Are you guys from some group trying to have IV look at it and help you with advocacy for it?

[pappu]

Originally Posted by honest123

Since recent STEM graudates not applied in this act, does it mean that if any graduates who have graduated recently or on H-1B got laid off or some back home should be immigrated by "entreprenur status"??????

Please focus on HR3012.
All other is a distraction.
Have you been taking an active role in HR3012? I have seen your previous posts with lot of ideas and passion. Lets help each other and channel our energies for a positive change for the entire community.

[obi1]

There are lots of ways to be active in the community without necessarily ratcheting up posts. Saying that all other immigration reform proposals are a distraction is unfair and causes disunity. But I guess, to each his own. All the best.

[pappu]

Originally Posted by obi1

There are lots of ways to be active in the community without necessarily ratcheting up posts. Saying that all other immigration reform proposals are a distraction is unfair and causes disunity. But I guess, to each his own. All the best.

It does not cause disunity by telling whats right to do at this point of time.It raises awareness and education about advocacy and the political reality. At this time no other bill on high skilled immigration except HR3012 stands a chance. Everything else is a distraction , waste of time and resources. Learn to trust people who are close to the political process on day to day basis and have spent years doing that by sincerely working on just one issue- high skill immigration advocacy. If you really believe that startup act is what needs to be passed then go to DC and work fr it. You will know the ground realities.