Andres Ruzo came to America in 1980 to pursue a degree in engineering from Texas A&M University. He calls himself a Peruvian by birth and a Texan by choice. He founded his fast-growing company, Rowlett, Texas-based LinkAmerica, in 1994.

But getting to that point wasn’t easy.

“I know how difficult it is to be an immigrant who wants to start something here,” Ruzo said. “I tried to get my H-1B Visa, which required me to work for five years, and then going from there, I needed another five years to become a resident, so it took 10 years."

With $40.7 million in annual revenue, LinkAmerica ranked No. 13 on the Dallas Business Journal’s 2010 list of North Texas minority-owned businesses.

New legislation coming out of Washington could provide a shortcut for foreign-born entrepreneurs. Ruzo says the proposed changes will create U.S. jobs, bring money to North Texas, and open up a bridge for foreigners to invest in America.

Introduced by U.S. Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar, the law would allow immigrant entrepreneurs to secure visas if their startup can raise $1 million in investment, or generate $1 million in revenue, and create five full-time jobs within two years.

Called the Startup Visa Act of 2010, the legislation requires the entrepreneur to initially raise $250,000, of which $100,000 must come from a qualified U.S. angel or venture investor.

The Startup Visa Act has enjoyed bipartisan support, despite a nationwide immigration dispute, as well as the backing of 160 venture capitalists from across the country.

“Global competition for talent and investment grows more intense daily, and the United States must step up or be left behind,” Kerry said in a statement.

The Startup Visa Act would create a new type of two-year visa called an EB-6. It’s a hybrid of existing visas, the H-1B, a temporary visa for immigrants working in high-tech or other specialized fields, and the E-B5, also known as the investor’s visa, which provides a method of obtaining permanent residence for foreign nationals who invest at least $1 million and create at least 10 jobs in the United States.

Supporters say the startup visa would create jobs and increase America’s global competitiveness, rather than helping immigrants compete for existing ones, which is what many argue H-1B does.