
US Startup-visa to be debated in 2010 - nreece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417510.stm
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geebee
I am so worried about this visa.

I understand why so many people consider it a no brainer. Who wouldn't want to
allow entrepreneurs who create massive wealth and jobs into the country.
Anyone opposed must be a xenophobe, right?

The problem is, I've seen where this logic took the H1B visa, and my
confidence in employer sponsored immigration programs has been shattered. I
consider the H1B to be an utterly corrupt program, even if it has been used to
bring some indisputably excellent people here.

I hate the idea that an investor would have the power to determine whether
someone is allowed to live and work in the US. I hate it somewhat less than
the idea that an employer would be allowed to do this, but I still hate it.

All people in the US need to be free. Free to work, free to quit, free to
move, free to change careers, free to go to law school, you know, free, as in
freedom. Any visa that allows you in here but with conditions, like "to be an
engineer", or "to do a startup" is bad in the first place. Any one that allows
an employer or investor to decide if you get to move (and stay) here is even
worse. This power will be abused, count on it.

How about this: allow in some excellent people, a lot but not an unlimited
number,and let them do _what they want_ , without asking the permission of
their employer or their investor.

~~~
ajaimk
I see what you mean by "conditions".

What do you thing of offering a resident visa to everyone who completes a
bachelors + graduate degree in the US? Minimum, that will take 6 years in the
country to complete which is approximately what is needed to get citizen (as
far as residence requirement goes).

It must be noted also that time spent in the country on a student visa does
not go towards your residency requirement to become a citizen

~~~
netcan
The problem with that is that it becomes a method of buying residency. Why not
just sell citizenship outright? A lot of people would find that distasteful,
but I think it's worth thinking about.

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JimmyL
For more detail as to what Polis is proposing, see:

\- The full text o fthe Act
(<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-4259>)

\- His press release on it
([http://polis.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=1...](http://polis.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=160902))

\- A summary of the Act from his office
([http://polis.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HR_4259_Employment_Bene...](http://polis.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HR_4259_Employment_Benefit_Act_Summary.pdf))

\- Its GovTrack entry
(<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4259>)

Its current status, for the record, is that it's been introduced (with no co-
sponsors) and referred to the Judiciary committee.

As for what's a "start up", it looks like the Act's requirements are $250K
from a US-based VC or $100K from a non-family citizen/green-card Angel, as
well as a business plan that will create 5+ jobs or be profitable and take in
$1M in revenue.

Interestingly, if the Angel is well-established (5+ investments totaling
$250K+ in the past three years), the Act would waive the requirement that they
be in any way American.

~~~
nopassrecover
Requiring a business plan is probably a good idea in that it may help prevent
these visas being sold (100k + sponsoring fee may be reasonable?).

