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Tech group urges passage of immigration legislation
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02/25/10 11:51 AM ET
A leading tech group on Wednesday urged lawmakers to adopt legislation that would allow immigrants to remain in the United States if they proved to be skillful entrepreneurs.
That bill -- the StartUp Visa Act of 2010, introduced this week -- would enable foreign workers in the United States to obtain two-year visas if they "can demonstrate that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to dedicate a significant sum -- a minimum of $250,000 -- to the immigrant's startup venue," explained the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) in a letter of support on Wednesday.
Ultimately, those workers would have to maintain a businesses that created at least five new American jobs in its early years, ITIC emphasized.
The group later predicted more job creation was possible, given foreign workers' previous successes at incubating new, innovative firms, especially those in the tech sector.
"Foreign-born entrepreneurs have developed thousands upon thousands of new innovations, technologies, and start-up companies in America. Many went on to create such high tech companies as Intel, E-Bay, and Sun Microsystems, to name only a few," wrote Dean C. Garfield, president and CEO of ITIC.
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, first introduced their new visa bill this week.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Kerry described their legislation as an essential tool for ensuring the United States remained competitive globally.
“Everywhere Dick Lugar and I travel for the Foreign Relations Committee, we see firsthand the entrepreneurial spirit driving the economies of our competitors," Kerry said. "Creating a new magnet for innovations and innovators to come to the United States and create jobs here will offer our economy a double shot in the arm – robust job creation at home and reaffirmation that we’re the world’s best place to do business.”
That bill -- the StartUp Visa Act of 2010, introduced this week -- would enable foreign workers in the United States to obtain two-year visas if they "can demonstrate that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to dedicate a significant sum -- a minimum of $250,000 -- to the immigrant's startup venue," explained the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) in a letter of support on Wednesday.
The group later predicted more job creation was possible, given foreign workers' previous successes at incubating new, innovative firms, especially those in the tech sector.
"Foreign-born entrepreneurs have developed thousands upon thousands of new innovations, technologies, and start-up companies in America. Many went on to create such high tech companies as Intel, E-Bay, and Sun Microsystems, to name only a few," wrote Dean C. Garfield, president and CEO of ITIC.
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, first introduced their new visa bill this week.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Kerry described their legislation as an essential tool for ensuring the United States remained competitive globally.
“Everywhere Dick Lugar and I travel for the Foreign Relations Committee, we see firsthand the entrepreneurial spirit driving the economies of our competitors," Kerry said. "Creating a new magnet for innovations and innovators to come to the United States and create jobs here will offer our economy a double shot in the arm – robust job creation at home and reaffirmation that we’re the world’s best place to do business.”
Lugar later added the legislation would further improve the country's ability to innovate new technologies and services.
“Our country should strive to attract to the United States the most talented and highly skilled entrepreneurs," the senator explained. "We should channel the power of innovative thinkers from around the world and American investors towards creating jobs and encouraging economic growth and future prosperity."
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