More than 250 families are living in Central Florida by way of the entrepreneur visa program, according to amateur lobbyist Zoe Adams.
- Visa holders seek reform to entrepreneur program
- Program allows foreigners to open, operate businesses in U.S.
- Hundreds of families in Central Florida are affected
They’re seeking reform to the law and are hoping Congressman John Rutherford’s reform bill introduced this summer will get passed.
The formal title of the entrepreneur visa program is the E-2 Investor Treaty visa.
It’s given to foreigners from more than 80 countries who open and operate businesses in the United States and hire employees.
They’re permitted to bring a spouse, who can get a work permit, and their children.
Zoe Adams, from Great Britain, organized a gathering of these visa holders on Sunday. Many of them said there are kinks in the law.
For example, using the investor visa, their children can only stay in the United States until they’re 21. Then, they have to leave the country if they don’t obtain another type of visa or marry an American.
“I don’t want to be forced to leave somewhere that is my home now, somewhere where I live, my family is here," said Molly Hughes, whose parents emigrate from Great Britain. "And my education is going to be here. I don’t want to be kicked out when I turn 21.”
Another issue the visa holders are finding is there isn’t a permanent residency option. They can only stay in the United States as long as the business is up and running. Many of them are forced to leave the country when they want to retire, unless they can qualify for another visa.
"It looks like we're going to be working until we're 80 or whatever age,” said Caroline Hughes, Molly’s mother. “I have no idea. You would hope that at some point somebody sees sense and changes this law and allows people like us to stay. We pay taxes, everybody here employs people. We're just earning an honest living."
Congressman John Rutherford, out of Jacksonville, introduced a reform bill in July. It would allow the E-2 visa holders to apply for permanent residency after 10 years, and allow the visa holders’ children to stay in the United States until they’re 26, and apply for a work permit.
The bill has four cosponsors, including Congressman Dennis Ross. It’s currently in the House Judiciary Committee and has been referred to the subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
Rutherford estimates 100,000 families and businesses would be impacted nationwide.