Jin Bian, a Chinese techie, living in the US for 12 years under a H-1B visa, was told that he could land in prison when he made plans to purchase a house closer to his office in the city of Tampa, in the US state of Florida.
“That was really shocking to me. It’s just purchasing property. Once I learned that, I didn’t even bother to look anymore,” Jin Bian, who is originally from Nanjing, China, said, while speaking to US broadcaster CNN.
The 31-year-old software engineer wanted to cut down his one-hour commute time by purchasing a house but for almost a year it has been a crime for Chinese citizens of H-1B visas like him.
The state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a law restricting Chinese nationals without US green cards from purchasing property in the state last year.
The H1-B visa holder told the broadcaster that he has begun reconsidering his life in Florida. The broadcaster also reported that ever since Florida Senate Bill 264 went into effect on July 1, 2023, Chinese citizens in Florida without green cards could potentially face criminal charges and imprisonment if they purchase property in the state.
Under SB 264, citizens from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria are restricted from buying property within 10 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure facilities in Florida.
Now, Chinese citizens without permanent residency in the US also come into its ambit and are prohibited from purchasing any property in the state under this law.
“Florida is taking action to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat — the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” DeSantis said in a statement last year.
Bian expressed optimism that the law might be reversed. However, if there are no changes within a year or two, he intends to relocate back to California.
“We’re ordinary people. We don’t talk about these political things. I think 99.99% of people here just want to have a good life… I don’t think California will ever have this kind of law,” he was quoted as saying by CNN.
The law is currently facing legal challenges in court, but several other states are also contemplating similar legislation.
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