Trump immigration policy rewards Olympians, Nobel Laureates; discounts VC-backed entrepreneurs

On the heels of delaying the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER), the White House has endorsed a bill that would grade candidates for immigration. A total of 60 organizations, including SSTI and many of our member organizations, stated their opposition to the move in a new letter. It is not clear why the IER’s standard of investible businesses would not fit into the legislation’s merit-based system. The bill’s scoring system sets a threshold of 30 points and rewards certain age groups (max of 10 points for 26 to 30 year olds), STEM degrees (max of 13), Nobel prize winners (25 points), job offers (max of 13), willingness to invest (max of 12) and an Olympic medal within the last eight years (15 points). The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act  would also significantly reduce the number of available visas. Time has created a self-scoring quiz for those interested.