Archive for the ‘US immigration’ Category

Paul Graham steps out of tech sector to write on US immigration

Paul Graham, well known for his essays on start-ups and entrepreneurialism in the US tech sector wrote about an idea that if realized, would be a big step in the right direction for US immigration policy.

Paul’s  ‘Founder visa’ essay proposes that 10,000 entrepreneurial immigrants be granted US visas with conditions attached that they must not work for any other company apart from the one that they start-up while in the US.

Paul argues that for Silicon Valley to remain the best place in the world to start a software company more highly talented entrepreneurial immigrants are needed.  Some of the most successful Internet companies were started by US immigrants.  Examples include Jerry Yang, the founder of Yahoo!, who was born in Taipei.  Sergery Brin, the co-founder of Google immigrated to the US from Russia.  What is surprising to many is that these are not unusual cases (at least not for their foreign-founders). Approximately one quarter of US tech companies are founded by immigrants.

At the moment, requirements for investors and entrepreneurs to enter the US are high and the process of obtaining the visa is a lengthy process and it is not guaranteed to end in success.

The theoretical ‘Founder visa’ is a simple solution to a complicated problem.  Paul’s essay made quite a stir when it was published and it has been made famous online, to the extent of a Founder visa movement being created.

However, there are problems with the idea when you dig into it.  For example, how can foreign entrepreneurs prove they are serious about their business?  One solution would be for the US government to “piggyback” on the expertise of venture capitalists.  In other words, if a start-up founder has gained VC investment they can be allowed in – providing they still own a big enough share of their company.

This solution raises a new question – what about entrepreneurs looking to ‘bootstrap’ their business? (Grow it on-the-cheap with minimum capital investment).  Just as importantly there is the issue of how failure can be dealt with.  Most start-ups fail, so where would the failed founders go?  This could be solved by having the ‘Founder visa’ expire if the holder doesn’t start a new company with 1 year.

The typical xenophobic knee-jerk response of the US is not justified here.  Immigrants with a ‘Founder visa’ would be creating jobs for Americans, and if their companies are successful they could create a lot of jobs.

10,000 immigrants per year is a drop in the ocean in terms of people moving to the US.  If we use Paul’s estimate of 4 entrepreneurs per start-up then 2500 new companies would be started in the US every year.  Some of those companies would be successful; a few would be very successful and provide lots of jobs and taxable profits for the US.

What do you think about the concept of a ‘Founder visa’?

Jay Leno: Seeing the funny side of nationalism

US chat show host and comedian Jay Leno was a surprise supporter for any migrant wanting a move to North America yet worried they would have difficulty fitting in with and adapting to a new culture. It seems even North American nationals are ‘off song’ when it comes to knowing their home country’s national anthem:

In a national anthem survey, 79% of Americans know the first line of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’, but only 37% of Canadians know the first line to ‘Oh Canada’, which is really pathetic as the first line of ‘Oh Canada’ is ‘Oh Canada’.

[Source: BBC.co.uk]

For a state whose population boom has been fuelled by immigrants and retirees, Florida’s outlook in the economic downturn is a dire one. Negative population growth for the first time in years has leaders seeking new solutions to boost the economy.

A US visa for foreign retirees could boost the economy

One such solution is look overseas. Despite Florida’s reputation as a mecca for wealthy stockholders enjoying their golden years, US immigration policies manage to keep out foreign national retirees who can afford to live abroad – exactly the demographic that could make a difference to Florida’s economy.

Surveys have shown that foreign nationals consider Florida one of the most desirable places to live in the US. Yet government bureaucracy means more expat retirees are moving to Mexico, Australia, Thailand and other countries with more hospitable retirement immigration policies.

Independent policy-research organisation TaxWatch concluded in a report this year that a retirement visa could add billions of dollars to the US economy in the next ten years, including $27b to Florida alone. And it could lead to the creation one million jobs in the same timeframe.

The US government announced during the recent summit on immigration between the US, Canada and Mexico that immigration reform would have to wait till 2010. However, the government would be wise to consider implementing a retirement visa scheme in the meantime. It could prove an effective economic stimulus at a time when the country needs it most.

Mairead Maguire: Protesting against US visa treatment

… the US of A!!! (Well, at least in the opinion of Nobel Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire).

The Belfast-born peace campaigner has encountered a series of bureacratic hullaballoos ever since the Obama administration took over in 2009, reports Ann Wright of the Huffington Post. Maguire’s catalogue of complaints ranges from needless detention by US immigration officials, missed flights and having to foot the resultant expenses bill for hotel rooms and the like.

The problems first began in July 2009 and a confused Maguire, on asking a US immigration official what she could do to avoid trouble at border control, was advised to get a 10-year US visa. This did little to improve the situation and she continued to encounter problems at immigration control

Maguire’s has long been known for her staunch opposition to Israel’s stand on Palestine and she has a history of regularly speaking out against nuclear arms and war. This seems to be what is at the crux of the ‘border bullying’ and not her visa.

It just goes to show, that even with a valid visa and a Nobel Peace Prize, getting past immigration officials when you make the move to US can be more difficult than you think.

Doctor Jeffrey Steinberg can help British parents

While South Africa struggles to keep its medical talent from hopping on flights with a migrant work permit, one doctor in the US is giving some Britons a real reason to obtain their visitor US visa.

New York doctor Jeffrey Steinberg is offering British couples the chance to come to the US and chose the gender of their child. In the UK, sex selection is banned unless it is to determine genetic disease.

The process – also rather chillingly referred to as “family balancing” – is allowed in the US and Doctor Steinberg claims that one quarter of his ‘gender bending’ customers are from the UK.

Although it seems like one of the oddest reasons to apply for your US visa, for some UK couples, it could turn out to their happiest.

Shah Rukh Khan in US visa row

“No big deal” was the reaction of Shah Rukh Khan, the actor at the centre of a recent US immigration row. But the Bollywood icon has received a great deal of attention after his spat with immigration officials on Saturday.

Khan was pulled over by US officials at Newark Liberty airport, New Jersey and had to waste a few minutes of his precious time in a room being interrogated rather than schmoozing among his adoring fans or promoting his new film, “My Name is Khan”.

The fact Khan wants no apology from US immigration is another ‘no big deal’. No matter who he is, US immigration authorities have a legal right to deal with visitors as they see fit as long as it is in the name of national security. Why should Shah Rukh Khan be treated any different?

Was the incident really such an inconvenience for Khan? US immigration denies the actor was detained or held for two hours as Khan’s PR team claims.

What is true is that Khan did receive considerable global exposure for the story. For any celebrity wanting to break America or gain some extra column inches, surely a visa spat at an airport can only be regarded as good news?

The old immigration ‘scandal has been a popular technique used by entertainers to gain media attention for a number of years. PR guru and sultan of spin Max Clifford orchestrated a number of UK immigration airport ‘rows’ for stars a few years back.

Rumored to be drunk and disorderly on long haul flights or victims of draconian immigration jobsworths, stars got an instant “rebel enters UK” angle courtesy of UK immigration officials and the press got their story.

It all worked a treat until the immigration chiefs threatened to really arrest the over-acting actors and actresses for causing dirsuption and having invalid visas.

Let’s face it. With many of our stars having entourages and PR companies in their midst surely the simple of task of making sure you have a valid visa application would be a formality taken care of by a reputable visa company such as Global Visas.

So next time you hear a celebrity has been detained for a visa problem, remember: it may not be quite as it seems.

Amy Winehouse gets US visa ban lift

She had previously been refused a US work visa for two years after being arrested for possession of cannabis and, not long after, for assaulting a fan.

Winehouse’s second album, ‘Back to Black’, was the second biggest selling album worldwide in 2008. She picked up five Grammy awards in the same year but had to accept the awards and perform her music via online video because of the work visa issues.

A source said: “She knows she has a huge fan base [in the US] and would love to boost her profile further and give something back to all the people who buy her records.”

Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage and now a suspected 'Cuban communist'

Global Visas‘ sympathies go out to comedy chameleon Paul O’Grady. His outings as alter-ego drag queen Lily Savage hardly raise a well-plucked eyebrow in comparison to his latest incarnation as a Cuban communist.

Poor Paul was pulled up by US immigration officials at Miami airport this week, after they thought his Liverpudlian accent sounded distinctly Cuban.

O’Grady was then taken aside for two hours of rigourous questioning which was probably a bizarre role-reversal for the TV presenter who  hosts his own chat show on UK’s Channel 4.

The 54-year old Birkenhead-born TV star, who has suffered two heart attacks in the past, was left with his feathers ruffled but clearly there was nothing wrong with his acerbic tongue.

When asked by a US officer if he’d ever visited Cuba, O’Grady retorted:

“You’ve been studying my passport for the last hour and you can see I’ve never been to Cuba in my life.”

He added: “Then this guy said to me, ‘He thinks you’re a Cuban immigrant’. I said, ‘Cos I look Cuban, don’t I?’”

And who says US immigration isn’t a laugh?

In 1977 O’Grady went to live and work in the Philippine capital of Manila. It was there he came up with the idea for Lily Savage – a comedy creation that was to shoot him to international fame. Maybe he might soon be appearing in drag as a female US immigration official at a theatre near you.

With figures out from a new study showing US immigration can increase Hispanics’ cancer risk by up to 40%, is it any surprise that the country is home to some of the world’s unhealthiest meals?

The visually frightening post Seven of the Fattiest Sandwiches in the US expertly dissects seven of the biggest, most cholesterol-laden sandwich monstrosities across the nation.

Pastrami heaven: Carnivores will rejoice at New York City's Carnegie Deli

Sandwich #1 in the list whacks together french fries, coleslaw, provolone cheese, and tomatoes. Sandwich #2 packs in 1,600 calories with its delicate selection of fried mozzarella sticks, fried chicken fingers, and french fries doused in Italian tomato sauce. It’s no wonder its creators dubbed it ‘Fat Darrell’.

You can expedite Doomsday by ordering a sandwich by that name in hippie-healthy San Francisco. Choke down the roast beef, pastrami, corned beef, turkey, ham, bacon, mozzarella sticks, avocado, and fried jalapeno popper filling so you can feel uber-healthy the morning after when you satisfy a rebound craving for carrot juice and goat-milk yogurt.

Lest we forget, these ingredients do not exist in a vacuum. No, they exist between two (often massive) slices of bread, which rightly expect to be consumed alongside the internal goodness. (Tip: Never admonish an American that the legitimacy of their sandwiches is compromised simply because they require a knife and fork to eat).

But let’s face it: it’s good to be put off by these artery-clogging combinations. The utter disregard for human health shown by these mammoth lunch items can have serious ramifications. Aside from the fact that two-thirds of Americans are classed as overweight or obese, the Hispanic cancer risk study is yet another rude awakening.

The study’s leader, Paulo Pinheiro, an epidemiologist from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, points most of the blame at the diet and lifestyle changes Hispanics undergo as they adapt to US life. More read meat and fatty foods and less physical exercise contribute to the frighteningly high increase in cancer risk.

Next time I’m in a US deli with my sourdough-encased stacks of deli turkey, avocado and all the trimmings – hold the french fries – I’ll be sure to give these issues a good ponder.

The new face of US immigration

She’s married to one of England’s most recognised sports stars. Her own career has seen her rise to the top of the world’s music charts, she has met Nelson Mandela and is now promoting her own fashion collection. She’s also a mother, a wife and now one of the world’s most successful immigrants.

It is of course Victoria Beckham. Reports are suggesting she’s landed a plum role on the American Idol and is rumoured to have signed for at least two episodes of the US’s most popular television programme. She will join fellow Brit Simon Cowell on the judges’ panel.

Following US star Paula Abdul’s resignation from the show this week after eight seasons, Beckham, 35, has surely been given one of the best work opportunities for anyone who makes the move to the US from overseas.

So, will she rise to become a television idol of the US public or merely bomb the charts?  Viewers will be the final judge.