Global Competitiveness
The United States has long been the destination for the world’s most talented immigrants. Despite the last 50 years of technological advancement, American immigration policy has remained virtually unchanged, putting in danger America's global competitiveness. Yesterday's immigration policy no longer meets today’s economic needs. Only about 14 percent of all U.S. green cards are given for economic reasons, compared to more than 60 percent in Canada and Australia. With no dedicated visa for entrepreneurs and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Child of Immigrant Shopkeepers is a Powerful Force for Small Businesses
Ron Kim grew up working in his parents’ small grocery store in New York City. The family had immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1987, when Kim was 7 years old. “I saw my parents, both of them, work nonstop,” he says, noting that the store was… Read More
Local Businessman Says, Even with U.S. Citizenship, He’s “Worried”
Mauricio Roca, is an U.S. citizen. His wife is American, and they have two American children. However, with so much negative rhetoric around immigrants these days, the Mexican-born Roca feels nervous whenever he sees a police officer. “Most Hispanics I know who are living in the United States right now… Read More
Haitian Immigrant Poised to Fill Critical Need for Computer Science Professionals
Ever since Sheila Laurore immigrated to the United States from Haiti in 2015, she has been working hard toward her goal: A degree and a job in computer science. “I like that in the United States you have the opportunity to get a better life. You can go to school,… Read More
Chicago Writer Examines Her — and Her Country’s — Refugee Experience
Writer Megy Karydes says people are surprised when she tells them she was a refugee. “I look American,” she says. “It’s not as if we wear a T-shirt announcing it.” Although Karydes was born in the United States, her parents, who were Greek citizens, had returned to their home… Read More
‘Companies Appreciate Immigrants,’ Says Colombian Process Engineer
When new immigrant Diana Valenzuela gets her English up to speed, the United States will be lucky. Back in her native Colombia, she spent 10 years as a process engineer at a leather factory, supervising production and designing the leather finish for shoes, belts, and other products. Afterward, she spent… Read More
Washington Post: Region’s demand for bilingual workers is booming. Should D.C. schools offer more dual-language programs?
Advocates for bilingual education and District leaders argued Thursday that the Washington region’s workforce has a growing demand for bilingual speakers that could be filled by D.C. public school graduates if the school system boosted its dual-language education programs. The panel discussion featured D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, school… Read More
Immigration Policy Ineffective for Economic Development, Says Iowa CEO
As CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, an economic development organization, Jay Byers is trying to make the region a premier destination for immigrant workers, particularly in job-growth industries like bioscience and advanced manufacturing. “Recruiting international talent, especially in high-skilled industries, is absolutely critical to fueling future economic growth,”… Read More
One Refugee Couple, Dozens of Entrepreneurial Stories
Nadia Kasvin came to the United States under the terms of the Lautenberg Amendment, a 1989 policy that allowed Jews and other religious minorities facing persecution in the former Soviet Union to seek asylum in America. Three years after applying, and after numerous background checks and interviews, Kasvin and her… Read More
Americans Forget They Descend From Immigrants, Says Minnesotan
Aaron J. Brown, a community college instructor and proud native of Hibbing, Minnesota, says some on the Mesabi Iron Range seem to have forgotten that they are the descendants of immigrants. A century ago, Hibbing was as diverse as New York City is today. “Many great-great-grandparents of Hibbing residents came… Read More
Immigrant Talent Critical To U.S. Dominance, Says Economist
Peter Orazem is an economist and professor at Iowa State University, where he’s taught for 34 years. Orazem’s career has given him insight into how much the United States relies on both high- and low-skilled immigrants to move our economy forward. “We have a country that’s capital rich and labor… Read More
Impending Labor Challenges
The United States is facing demographic challenges that endanger its preeminent economic position in the world. An aging workforce threatens the vitality of the labor force. At the same time, the supply of U.S.-trained engineers is lagging behind nearly all other industrialized economies. At a time when tech-heavy and innovation driven industries are driving economic growth, the United States faces the prospect of being left behind.
Table 1: Share of Population Age 65+, 1996, 2006, 2016 and projected 2030
Table 2: Share of Undergrads Studying Engineering
Prioritizing Economic Needs
Many countries have identified the link between immigration and economic growth. For many, such moves are a matter of necessity–the domestic labor force is not sufficient for an expanding economy, and aging populations and declining fertility rates are creating labor shortages. Despite facing some of the same challenges, U.S. immigration policy has not changed to reflect our economy’s evolving needs.
Table 3: Percentage of All Permanent Residency Visas Given for Economic Reasons*
Need for a Start-Up Visa
Countries around the world, from France, to Chile, to Singapore have created visas aimed at attracting promising entrepreneurs and job creators. Despite concerns about meager job creation and business growth, however, the United States has not taken a similar step, endangering our position in the global race for talent. This situation was made worse in 2017 when the administration took the first steps to kill the International Entrepreneur Rule, a measure that would have allowed entrepreneurs with outside funding to remain in the country for 2.5 years to establish their businesses.
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