Chinese H1-B Visa Holder Told He Might Be Jailed If He Buys Property In Florida. Here’s Why

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. 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 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. 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,” DeSantis said in a statement last year.