

U.S. to Assist Immigrant Job Creators - sim0n
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904292504576482573203358158.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

======
AlexC04
"Job Creators" is an interesting term. Apparently recently adopted by the
political language surgeons. This is a fantastic example of how language can
be used to change the intent of a phrase.

Here's John Stewart's light hearted take on the term 'Job Creator'

[http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-daily-show-
republ...](http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-daily-show-republicans-
wealthy-jobs-video-2011-7)

But there are a number of other interesting examples: "Undocumented Worker"
vs. "Illegal Alien" - both refer tot he same person, but give wildly different
"gut reactions"

[http://patriotstatesman.com/2011/03/decoding-political-
langu...](http://patriotstatesman.com/2011/03/decoding-political-language/)

What's so powerful about this sort of language use is that when you get boiled
down in today's media to the "soundbyte" or "headline only" (as we see here),
the emotional impact of your political goal is achieved.

"Job Creators" are benevolent gift givers to the common man. Whereas "CEO
salaries soar while worker salaries stagnate" has a different impact
[http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/story/CEO...](http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/story/CEO-
pay-2010/45634384/1)

Politically, shouldn't you be thanking the Job creator? Rather than wondering
why they are earning closer to 100 time what you're making? (Not to mention
the high end tax loopholes that they can afford to find).

I was a bit surprised to find that Orwell wrote an essay about this in 1946
<http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm> although come to think of
it, it is definitely reminiscent of the Newspeak from 1984.

Anyways, it's interesting. As far as I can tell "Job Creators" is a relatively
new term that's been cooked up for some political purpose. I'd be really
interested to see a graph the occurrence of that specific phrase over time.

Where is it appearing? What papers, Websites, what level of penetration does
it have? What "path to entry" does this term take? Can we trace it back to its
source? (Like the amazon!)

How effective is it in changing opinion? In "Manufacturing Consent" (Right?
anyone remember Chompsky?)

Anyways - I'm obviously starting to ramble a bit. Nothing to do with the
article. Sorry for the tangent.

------
tomjen3
This is potentially very, very good but given the previous US immigration mess
(you can come there fast, easily and cheaply but only illegally) and the
current state of Washingtons politics I, for one, am not holding my breath.
At. All.

Meanwhile Chile is busy importing its own start-up culture and it is looking
very, very tempting.

~~~
bugsy
What Chile is doing makes way more sense.

~~~
davidw
I think a middle ground might simply "primum non nocere" - first do no harm.
Rather than dishing out cash, make sure the process is quicker and less
bureaucratic, and if possible, let people in who are willing to work.

------
ajju
There is a mention of a "National Interest" clause with EB2. If this is truly
the national interest waiver which is an existing mechanism to accelerate
residency permits, it means approved entrepreneurs will be able to become
legal residents in under a year, versus 7+ years that it often takes for most
visas. This would be phenomenal!

Looks like finally, the government is doing something right on immigration!

------
ed209
(Talking specifically the high-tech sector) The US should be making it easier
for skilled workers to get jobs in the US generally because some of them will
go on to start their own businesses anyway. Why wait until they decide to
become "entrepreneurs" - why not bag them sooner?

~~~
patio11
Basically, because that would immediately result in the Indian outsourcing
companies importing half a million "consultants" at $20k a year each. Not even
joking.

There exist people who think that a nation's immigration laws should not be
used to price that nation's citizens out of the market for jobs in their
neighborhood. Reasonable people could disagree on that, but suffice it to say
that it commands a supermajority in the US.

~~~
JanezStupar
Would it be so bad if US setup a quota? Or is political and racial correctness
so encroached that US would rather deprive itself of European workforce (which
is probably more "compatible") than to stop the hypocrisy that is going on
now. Since the system is currently setup the way it is to keep Mexicans and
Asians out of the US?

~~~
gopi
The US already has a country quota for greencards which is idiotic (thus India
with 1 billion population get the same number of greencards as tiny Monaco
with 35,00 people)

What US needs is a point based workpermit visa like that in Canada or
Australia. Instead of a company sponsored 'h1b' (which sometime results in
modern day slaves) the immigrant should be able sponsor himself (based on
education, skill, expirence etc).

------
trustfundbaby
Official announcement from the USCIS
[http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/20110802-napolitano-
startu...](http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/20110802-napolitano-startup-job-
creation-initiatives.shtm)

------
keeptrying
Can someone post the text of this article please? Can't access from India.

~~~
ajju
U.S. to Assist Immigrant Job Creators

By MIRIAM JORDAN

In its quest to spur job growth and jump-start the economy, Washington is
reaching out to foreign entrepreneurs.

Alejandro Mayorkas, chief of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a unit
of the Department of Homeland Security, on Tuesday will unveil several
initiatives designed to attract and retain foreign entrepreneurs, particularly
in the high-tech sector, who wish to launch start-up companies in the U.S.

Among the initiatives is a plan to make it easier for some foreigners to
qualify for legal permanent residence, or green cards, if they can demonstrate
their work will be in the U.S. national interest. The changes will also
include a way for entrepreneurs to obtain work visas without a job offer from
an established company.

Mr. Mayorkas also plans to announce that his agency will be training its
examiners on how visa-eligibility requirements apply to entrepreneurs.

"In this economy, it certainly is in the interest of this nation to welcome
foreign talent," Mr. Mayorkas said in an interview.

The changes come as increasing numbers of software entrepreneurs have been
taking their start-ups to other countries, often after completing advanced
degrees in the U.S., because of the difficulty in securing temporary work
visas and permanent residency here.

Vivek Wadhwa, a visiting scholar at the University at California, Berkeley,
who studies immigrant entrepreneurs, estimates the new measures could yield
"tens of thousands of start-ups and hundreds of thousands of jobs."

The measures won't require congressional approval because they don't
constitute changes in current immigration law. Instead, clarifications will be
issued for existing visa categories with the objective of enabling more
entrepreneurs to gain entry into the U.S. and of bringing more speed and
efficiency to the visa-application process.

"The Obama administration is getting the immigration system engaged in
creating jobs," said Steve Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law at
Cornell University Law School. "They are trying to facilitate the ability of
entrepreneurs to get temporary work visas and green cards when the economy is
in the doldrums."

Generally, immigrant entrepreneurs must have a specific job offer to qualify
for an employment-based immigrant visa or green card, such as in the category
for individuals with exceptional ability in the arts, sciences and business.

As part of the new initiatives, foreign entrepreneurs will be eligible for a
so-called EB-2 immigrant visa without a specific job offer, as long as they
demonstrate that their business endeavors will be in the U.S. national
interest.

The government is also seeking to bolster use by foreign entrepreneurs of
H-1Bs, which are temporary work visas for foreign workers in a specialty
occupation.

The H-1B program has been a mainstay of software companies and other
businesses that seek foreign nationals to fill certain jobs, and an employer-
employee relationship has generally been a prerequisite for qualifying.

As part of the new measures, a sole entrepreneur can qualify for an H-1B if
the individual's employment is decided by a corporate board or shareholders of
the start-up company.

Mr. Mayorkas will also unveil enhancements to the EB-5 investor program, which
enables foreign investors and their families to qualify for green cards if
they invest at least $500,000 in a U.S. project that generates at least 10
jobs.

His agency is also seeking to speed up the approval process by hiring
additional adjudicators to evaluate applications and enabling petitioners to
make their case before an expert panel should their application require
further evidence or be denied.

The moves come as demand for H-1B visas has fallen. As of July 22, USCIS had
received approximately 21,600 H-1B petitions out of 65,000 available for the
2012 fiscal year. The agency had received approximately 26,000 such
applications for the same period last year.

Several factors are at play, including higher fees for the visas and
increasingly better opportunities in countries such as India that entice their
skilled workers to return home rather than stay in the U.S.

While completing his Master's degree in computer science at the University of
Southern California in 2008, Anuj Agarwal launched a company called
Nachofoto.com, a start-up that makes a product used by search engines and
digital-media companies. Unable to get a U.S. visa for himself and expecting
his workers would have the same trouble, Mr. Agarwal moved the company to
India.

"After realizing we had visa barriers to the U.S., we opened another company
here," Mr. Agarwal said in an interview from Mumbai.

Norberto Guimaraes of Portugal said he had to leave the U.S. in May 2010 after
his student visa expired and his H-1B petition was denied because he lacked an
employer to sponsor him, even though he was the founder and chief executive of
his start-up.

"I had to sell the start-up that I had created while doing my M.B.A. at U.C.
Berkeley together with another M.B.A. colleague," he said.

Mr. Guimaraes was able to return to the U.S. this year, sponsored for a work
visa by another company.

~~~
keeptrying
thanks and this is awesome news. It doesnt matter to me now but god would I
have killed for this 5 years ago.

The fact that the number of applications for H1B is less than the number
available shows how much better the quality of life in India has gotten.

~~~
ajju
It does seem like great news. Quality of life in India has definitely gotten
better. Actually the growing economy has made entrepreneurship more lucrative,
allowing folks to make enough money to be in the upper middle class with a
startup.

The actual mechanics of a startup still seem to be harder than in the U.S.
from what my friends who have gone back tell me.

------
seanmccann
This makes me so happy! As a Canadian, the current polices are incredibly
frustrating.

------
simonw
Is this the startup visa?

~~~
pmjordan
No:

 _"The measures won't require congressional approval because they don't
constitute changes in current immigration law. Instead, clarifications will be
issued for existing visa categories with the objective of enabling more
entrepreneurs to gain entry into the U.S. and of bringing more speed and
efficiency to the visa-application process."_

~~~
keeptrying
Good catch. I can't access this article for some reason. I hope it's a
rewording of the H1 to allow working on your own on the side. That was a big
ass loss of life for me - wrt entrepreneurship anyways

------
Kirchart123
I have my very own company in Mexico with existing clients.and ready to grow
with more workers (we are 3 engineers now).

We have applied to Chile, sounds like a smart move from goverment.

will be cool to have a green card (i have a visa and family in usa, border its
20 mins from my home)... BUT im denitly not interested in having USA like
headquarter, my TAXES must be not used to screw other countrys.

------
bugsy
Another attack on america.

~~~
sharan
What were you trying to imply here? It isn't contextually valid or clear.

~~~
johnx123-up
OT: Unless you're losing your job in your own country, you cannot understand
the pain

