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Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

startupvisa.com

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Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#21

Post by fnid2 »

vaksel wrote: post #15

I don't think this is about startups...I think this is about bringing already semi-successful companies into US.

It's not about successful companies. You can have one of those without investing $500,000 into it. Make no mistake, this visa is about helping rich people make more money by enabling them to collaborate with other rich people around the world.

If that is not true, then entrepreneurs should be allowed into the country whether or not they've invested $500k into a business. What if you've invested 3 years into a business or 10 years? Why not let those people in too? They create jobs.

This bill is absurd. It's classist. It's contrary to the American dream where hard work and accomplishment is the ticket to wealth, not a check for $500,000.

Why don't we just remove the veil and call it what it is, "The Rich Man's Visa".

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#22

Post by ThomPete »

tptacek wrote: post #2

This is a bill that proposes to give US venture capitalists the overt ability to terminate the residency status of founders and their families. Not only do you have to get sponsored by an effectively arbitrary class of financiers (it is possible that Warren Buffet wouldn't qualify under these terms, depending on whether he has personally made 2 equity investments last year), but even if your company creates 10 US job…

It seems to be overly complex and unfair for sure.

Why not just say.

As long as you can pay for your self and your family in the US you are welcome to stay.

If you can't same rule as any other H1 H1B etc applies.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#23

Post by tptacek »

ThomPete wrote: post #22
tptacek wrote: post #2

This is a bill that proposes to give US venture capitalists the overt ability to terminate the residency status of founders and their families. Not only do you have to get sponsored by an effectively arbitrary class of financiers (it is possible that Warren Buffet wouldn't qualify under these terms, depending on whether he has personally made 2 equity investments last year), but even if your company creates 10 US job…

It seems to be overly complex and unfair for sure. Why not just say. As long as you can pay for your self and your family in the US you are welcome to stay. If you can't same rule as any other H1 H1B etc applies.

Note that the H1-B visa also created a raft of unintended negative consequences. I don't know if it's gotten better since I worked with BigCo's in the Valley in the late '90s, but it was appalling back then.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#24

Post by icey »

fnid2 wrote: post #21
vaksel wrote: post #15

I don't think this is about startups...I think this is about bringing already semi-successful companies into US.

It's not about successful companies. You can have one of those without investing $500,000 into it. Make no mistake, this visa is about helping rich people make more money by enabling them to collaborate with other rich people around the world. If that is not true, then entrepreneurs should be allowed into the country whether or not they've invested $500k into a business. What if you've invested 3 years into a busines…

The EB-5 visa (the "investor's visa") has been in place since 1990. The article mentions that half of the available visas under EB-5 go unused, which is where this bill is suggesting additional visas be allocated.

The bill that's just been introduced doesn't require the entrepreneur to do anything except start a business and be funded. After 2 years they either have to garner more funding or have over $1,000,000 in revenues.

I'm more than a little confused as to how you see this as being "the rich man's visa", especially in light of the fact that the existing EB-5 program fits that nickname much more accurately.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#25

Post by tptacek »

jbooth wrote: post #20
tptacek wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in favor of drastically relaxed immigration policies for professionals. I object to this bill. I fit neither of your groups.

Yeah, but your objection makes no sense and is probably rooted (apologies, and read this in a courteous tone) in the fact that you saw Kerry's name and had a gut reaction + ipso facto (FYI, Lugar's a republican). The legislation proposed moves us from "no way, no how" to "imperfect system" -- if you're primarily for relaxing immigration policies for professionals, you should support the bill in principle, favor it ov…

I canvassed Toledo for Kerry in '04. I got chased off someone's property for knocking on a door doing GOTV for ACT without noticing that the guy was flying a Confederate Flag. I donate to liberal political causes. I'm not just liberal: I'm a Democrat.

You're doing your argument a disservice by engaging with personalities (rightly or, here, wrongly) instead of ideas.

This isn't a personal criticism, because I demonstrably don't occupy the high ground on this point on HN. But you may want to be aware of it.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#26

Post by briansmith »

This would just allow the rich and connected to choose thousands of people to budge to the front of a 3-5 year long line that other green gard applicants (EB-3) are waiting in. If there are resources available to process more EB-5's and EB-6's, then put them to use accelerating the process for the people that have already waited years for their applications to be approved. Accelerate that process and you'll accelerate the creation of startups by our friends that are already here.

Edit: Above I said "a 3-5 year line," which is inaccurate. The current line is 7-9 years long.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#27

Post by philwelch »

Towle_ wrote: post #18
philwelch wrote: post #11

I guess Boston has startups but I didn't think Indiana had a lot. This is going to help Silicon Valley more than Boston or Indy--where are Feinstein and Boxer?

It's not about how many startups Indiana has. It's about Lugar.

Aside from keeping him in the news, how does this help Lugar? More to the point, how does this help Lugar in Indiana?

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#28

Post by ThomPete »

tptacek wrote: post #23
ThomPete wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems to be overly complex and unfair for sure. Why not just say. As long as you can pay for your self and your family in the US you are welcome to stay. If you can't same rule as any other H1 H1B etc applies.

Note that the H1-B visa also created a raft of unintended negative consequences. I don't know if it's gotten better since I worked with BigCo's in the Valley in the late '90s, but it was appalling back then.

Yeah I worked there too at that point, pretty bad. But at least the rules where simple.

Out of sponsor, out of the US.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#29

Post by mlinsey »

philwelch wrote: post #27
Towle_ wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about how many startups Indiana has. It's about Lugar.

Aside from keeping him in the news, how does this help Lugar? More to the point, how does this help Lugar in Indiana ?

Lugar is an institution of his own. He's been in the Senate for 33 years. When you reach that level of incumbency, you stop having to worry about how each bill of yours affects your re-election chances.

Re: Senators Kerry & Lugar Introduce the Startup Visa Act

#30

Post by seldo »

icey wrote: post #24
fnid2 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about successful companies. You can have one of those without investing $500,000 into it. Make no mistake, this visa is about helping rich people make more money by enabling them to collaborate with other rich people around the world. If that is not true, then entrepreneurs should be allowed into the country whether or not they've invested $500k into a business. What if you've invested 3 years into a busines…

The EB-5 visa (the "investor's visa") has been in place since 1990. The article mentions that half of the available visas under EB-5 go unused, which is where this bill is suggesting additional visas be allocated. The bill that's just been introduced doesn't require the entrepreneur to do anything except start a business and be funded. After 2 years they either have to garner more funding or have over $1,000,000 in r…

Yes, this is just the "slightly poorer than the EB5 man's visa", with the added stipulation that they have to create jobs, which seems like a great side-effect.

Fundamentally US immigration needs reform to a points-based system. But this is a relatively quick and simple tweak that would create a lot of jobs.

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