6 ms·

All I can say is I find category 2 - Workers on an H-1B visa, or graduates from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer

by ojbyrne 16y ago

All I can say is I find category 2 - Workers on an H-1B visa, or graduates from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer science—if they have an annual income of at least $30,000 or assets of at least $60,000 and have had a U.S. investor commit investment of at least $20,000 in their venture. Two years later, the startup must have created three new American jobs and either have raised over $100,000 in financing or be generating more than $100,000 in yearly revenue on a strictly personal basis, umm, droolworthy.

blizkreeg 16y ago
Droolworthy indeed! This point completely took me by surprise. For so many of us stuck in immigration limbo, this should make taking a leap well within reach. I was always of the opinion that there are thousands of talented could-be-entrepreneurs (grad students et al) in our own backyard who have no way to start a company. There had to be a way to make it easy for them, without reliance on employer visas and green cards.
- recoiledsnake 16y ago
  Maybe they should try to get rid of immigration limbo. The quota numbers are laughable and the rule that no country should get more than 7% per year is even worse. See Employment based section at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_(United_States)#Immigration_eligibility_and_quotas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_(United_Sta... Since pending immigrants can't vote, I guess no one cares.
  - blizkreeg 16y ago
    Yes, of course. That is the root of the problem. This bill is a good effort to augment legal immigration reform.
  - ericd 16y ago
    I would imagine that the quotas are to make sure that no single secondary culture becomes dominant in the US and creates a split culture. It's harder to culturally assimilate many from one culture than a few from each of many cultures. Immigration without any limits could be very bad for the long term health and stability of the country. I think they should tack on a points system like Canada's to help the most qualified get into the country. Letting grad students stay without hassle is, in my opinion, a no brainer. Universities are far better judges of merit than the INS.
dman 16y ago
Great way to unlock innovation. No more of spending your 20's trying to get a green card.
- muzz 16y ago
  Why would an innovator spend their 20s trying to get a green card, instead of innovating elsewhere?
  - dman 16y ago
    Innovators are no supermen. Like everyone else they need a conducive and encouraging environment to realize their full potential. In reality location, laws, business culture, family ties and other factors contribute how successful we are, how mobile we are and whether we will move halfway around the world to be in the global maximum of business opportunity. Case in point what happens if you are a bloke with solid ideas and a great work ethic but are responsible for supporting a relative who is ill ? Also the US has stupid laws which prevent spouses of visa holders from working. Getting a green card helps you overcome that.
iamelgringo 16y ago
Craig Montuori set up a tumblr to tell stories of Entrepreneurs that haven't been able to start companies in the US because of visa issues. Contact him at http://startupvisa.tumblr.com/ http://startupvisa.tumblr.com/, or cmontuori@gmail.com Help us get this off the ground.
Smirnoff 16y ago
My question is why this visa limiting to STEM majors only? What about business and finance majors? Aren't business students likely to start a company too?
- mkramlich 16y ago
  I think one aspect of an answer to that is that they are less likely to have product-building skills, and also they are more likely to create or contribute to what you might call the shyster/shenanigans part of the economy (see Wall Street, the "Financial Crisis of 2008", etc.) rather than making real things people want in exchange for an honest price. Speaking in general terms, of course. Also, they are less likely to create some new innovation or breakthrough that gives the US a tech edge. Also, for a STEM person, it's generally easier for them to learn business and do the things truly needed in that area, than it is to go in the reverse direction. (Again, speaking in aggregate terms, and understanding there are always individual and exceptional cases in every direction.)
- avichal 16y ago
  2 reasons: 1) The goal of the bill is to hang on to entrepreneurs who will generate new value and create new jobs. To drive "real value" you have to improve business productivity, make information accessible that wasn't accessible before, automate things that were hard to automate previously, etc. These are almost always technical accomplishments first. 2) There is an oversupply of people on the business side and an undersupply of people on the engineering side. For the US to stay competitive it has to hang on to the technical talent.
  - Hubbert 16y ago
    2) is factually incorrect: http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html Or visit an Engineering Society of Detroit career fair.
- Hubbert 16y ago
  Because we are politically powerless. This the wage for an entry-level programmer/engineer at $36,667: $30k/year salary and $20k "investment." In contrast, the American Medical Association (AMA) restricts the number of medical schools to keep doctors' wages high. As to why not business majors: 1. Nobody has spent decades building a propaganda base for "business major shortage" 2. Many more donors / politicians have a business major in the family to protect; relatively few have personal experience with a mysterious "STEM graduate."

by ojbyrne 16y ago

blizkreeg 16y ago

Droolworthy indeed! This point completely took me by surprise. For so many of us stuck in immigration limbo, this should make taking a leap well within reach. I was always of the opinion that there are thousands of talented could-be-entrepreneurs (grad students et al) in our own backyard who have no way to start a company. There had to be a way to make it easy for them, without reliance on employer visas and green cards.

recoiledsnake 16y ago
Maybe they should try to get rid of immigration limbo. The quota numbers are laughable and the rule that no country should get more than 7% per year is even worse. See Employment based section at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_(United_States)#Immigration_eligibility_and_quotas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_(United_Sta... Since pending immigrants can't vote, I guess no one cares.
- blizkreeg 16y ago
  Yes, of course. That is the root of the problem. This bill is a good effort to augment legal immigration reform.
- ericd 16y ago
  I would imagine that the quotas are to make sure that no single secondary culture becomes dominant in the US and creates a split culture. It's harder to culturally assimilate many from one culture than a few from each of many cultures. Immigration without any limits could be very bad for the long term health and stability of the country. I think they should tack on a points system like Canada's to help the most qualified get into the country. Letting grad students stay without hassle is, in my opinion, a no brainer. Universities are far better judges of merit than the INS.

dman 16y ago

Great way to unlock innovation. No more of spending your 20's trying to get a green card.

muzz 16y ago
Why would an innovator spend their 20s trying to get a green card, instead of innovating elsewhere?
- dman 16y ago
  Innovators are no supermen. Like everyone else they need a conducive and encouraging environment to realize their full potential. In reality location, laws, business culture, family ties and other factors contribute how successful we are, how mobile we are and whether we will move halfway around the world to be in the global maximum of business opportunity. Case in point what happens if you are a bloke with solid ideas and a great work ethic but are responsible for supporting a relative who is ill ? Also the US has stupid laws which prevent spouses of visa holders from working. Getting a green card helps you overcome that.

iamelgringo 16y ago

Craig Montuori set up a tumblr to tell stories of Entrepreneurs that haven't been able to start companies in the US because of visa issues. Contact him at http://startupvisa.tumblr.com/ http://startupvisa.tumblr.com/, or cmontuori@gmail.com Help us get this off the ground.

Smirnoff 16y ago

My question is why this visa limiting to STEM majors only? What about business and finance majors? Aren't business students likely to start a company too?

mkramlich 16y ago
I think one aspect of an answer to that is that they are less likely to have product-building skills, and also they are more likely to create or contribute to what you might call the shyster/shenanigans part of the economy (see Wall Street, the "Financial Crisis of 2008", etc.) rather than making real things people want in exchange for an honest price. Speaking in general terms, of course. Also, they are less likely to create some new innovation or breakthrough that gives the US a tech edge. Also, for a STEM person, it's generally easier for them to learn business and do the things truly needed in that area, than it is to go in the reverse direction. (Again, speaking in aggregate terms, and understanding there are always individual and exceptional cases in every direction.)
avichal 16y ago
2 reasons: 1) The goal of the bill is to hang on to entrepreneurs who will generate new value and create new jobs. To drive "real value" you have to improve business productivity, make information accessible that wasn't accessible before, automate things that were hard to automate previously, etc. These are almost always technical accomplishments first. 2) There is an oversupply of people on the business side and an undersupply of people on the engineering side. For the US to stay competitive it has to hang on to the technical talent.
- Hubbert 16y ago
  2) is factually incorrect: http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html Or visit an Engineering Society of Detroit career fair.
Hubbert 16y ago
Because we are politically powerless. This the wage for an entry-level programmer/engineer at $36,667: $30k/year salary and $20k "investment." In contrast, the American Medical Association (AMA) restricts the number of medical schools to keep doctors' wages high. As to why not business majors: 1. Nobody has spent decades building a propaganda base for "business major shortage" 2. Many more donors / politicians have a business major in the family to protect; relatively few have personal experience with a mysterious "STEM graduate."