US President Barack Obama has cited an Indian-American woman entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley after she got a green card following over 12 years of agonising wait to push for a comprehensive immigration reform that would attract best talents from across the globe.
"We're training our own competition, rather than invite those incredibly talented young people, like Geetha, to stay here and start businesses and create jobs here," Obama said in his remarks on immigration in San Francisco yesterday.
Geetha Vallabhaneni, an entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States from India 15 years ago in pursuit of the American dream, was given the privilege to introduce Obama at the event.
According to a White House official, after waiting for 12 long years to obtain a green card, Geetha is now living her dream in Silicon Valley where she started Luminix, an enterprise software company, within 10 months of receiving her green card.
Referring to his recent meeting with top American CEOs, Obama said their top priority was that the US invites the brightest minds from around the world to study here and then does not let them stay.
"We end up sending them home to create new jobs and start new businesses someplace else," he said.
"I hear from folks who've been separated from their families for years because of green card backlogs who desperately want their loved ones to be able to join them here in America.
"I hear from young dreamers who are Americans through and through in every way but on paper, and they just want a chance to study and serve and contribute to the nation that they love," Obama said.
Pushing for his case for the comprehensive immigration reform, Obama said the law would modernise America's legal immigration system in order to eliminate the backlog of family visas and make it easier to attract highly skilled entrepreneurs from beyond its borders.
"It would make sure that everybody plays by the same rules by providing a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are living in the shadows - a path that includes passing a background check, and learning English, and paying taxes and a penalty, and getting in line behind everyone trying to come here the right way," Obama said.
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