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The United States of America might be the archetypal land of immigrants but expats attracted to America have often found the doors firmly shut. Now a new website has been launched looking to attract expat entrepreneurs to the home of the brave.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) launched the website called “Entrepreneur Pathways” to help businesspeople to navigate the often complicated US immigration rules. The move is part of an ongoing program called Entrepreneurs in Residence designed to attract Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
Eleanor Pelta, a partner at law firm Morgan Lewis and a spokesman for the American Immigration Lawyers Association said, “Our antiquated immigration statute does not really accommodate the immigration needs and situations of 21st-century entrepreneurs and business founders.
"At the moment, for example, there is simply no vehicle for a founder of an emerging business to obtain a green card based on the contribution of that business alone. Under existing categories, applicants have to meet very difficult criteria such as having international renown, or having a business doing something that is very strongly in the US interests.”
While the launch of the website is a sign that public policy in America is moving in the right direction when it comes to welcoming expats, a change in immigration law will be needed before the country is to lose its reputation as a difficult place to emigrate to.
