The US government is up with another attempt to restrict immigration inflow into the country, following a string of executive orders on the issuance of H1B visa to foreign professionals. Startup visas to USA are the latest target of restriction on immigration in the Trump administration, as plans to revoke an Obama-era program in favor of foreign entrepreneurs are underway.
The Barack Obama-led program, which is called the International Entrepreneur Rule, would allow entrepreneurs from foreign countries to launch startup companies and live in the United States. The US’s technology industry had welcomed the program in the Obama regime. The non-US citizens whose startup companies in USA have received venture capital investment worth $250,000 are supposed to get their stay permit renewed for a 30-month term, according to the program which was confirmed by the end of the Obama government. The Obama-led International Entrepreneur Rule was supposed to become effective in July 2017.
The Obama-led International Entrepreneur Rule for foreign entrepreneurs would be put on shelf until March 2018 as the White House announced it yesterday (July 10, 2017). The US Department of Homeland Security will review the startup visas further, and in the meantime the Trump administration will propose repealing of the program. Criticisms on the plan to restrict issuance of startup visas to USA as an immigration reformation measure, have already started pouring in across social media.
Steve Case, the founder of America Online and the CEO of Revolution LLC, tweeted, “Immigrant entrepreneurs are job makers, not job takers.” Many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have shown the same sentiment in criticism of the latest executive order on the Obama-led International Entrepreneur Rule.
Undeniably, America is known for its culture of innovation, and startups significantly contribute to it. “America will be great again” was the slogan during the US elections 2016. It is the hope of millions of Americans in the current political regime too. America can build on innovation to be great again only if there is no barrier to overseas talent, according to leading US business groups.
A group of Republican senators wrote a letter to John Kelly, the Secretary of the Homeland Security Department, asserting that the Obama-led International Entrepreneur Rule is aligned with the American goals of generating employment and strengthening economy in USA.
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Also Check New Form DS-5535 for US Visa Applicants