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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Why Does U.S. Policy Reject Immigrant Talent? ‘Why Are We Economically Restricting Ourselves?’ American Lawyer Asks
Idaho native Richard L. Ruth, the managing principal of Ruth Law, became an immigration attorney after many years in labor law. Today, he has 20 years of experience under his belt. “I find the practice of immigration law extremely rewarding,” he says. “With litigation, I won a lot of cases,… Read More
Why Does a British Soccer Coach Want Immigration Reform? It Took Her 13 Years to Get A Green Card
Colette Montgomery runs a youth soccer league of 900 families in Edina, Minnesota, serves as an associate staff instructor for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and advises the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association on curriculum, staff development, and policy. It’s her dream career. But it took the English native… Read More
Robotics Expert Is Recruited to the U.S., but Visa Prohibits His Wife From Working
Despite being on track to become a judge in her native England, attorney Michelle Garrod decided to forego her own professional advancement to support her husband, Michael, when he was recruited to be the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for BlackDog Robotics, a division of the American company NPC… Read More
Immigrants and Labor Unions are ‘Natural Allies,’ According to Cornell Union Leadership Institute Co-Director
Patricia Campos-Medina spoke barely a word of English when she arrived from El Salvador at the age of 14—but within four years, she had won a full scholarship to Cornell, where, after stints as the assistant national political director for the Service Employees International Union, director for the New Jersey State… Read More
One of Arizona’s Most Prominent Businessmen on Immigration Reform: it ‘Makes Us Stronger in the Global Economy’
Bruce Dusenberry, the CEO and President of Horizon Moving Systems, and former director of UNIGroup, a $1.7 billion transportation and relocation services company, isn’t shy when it comes to discussing immigration. “We’ve restricted things when we get xenophobic, but we’ve also seen President Reagan and the first President Bush do… Read More
Successful Arizona Businesswoman to Congress: ‘Take Off the Political Jerseys and Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform’
Master communication and marketing guru Lisa Urias understands the tremendous economic impact of immigration on her home state. “We have a benefit being a border state, and that benefit is tremendous,” says the CEO of Urias Communications, a company that grosses roughly $6 million annually. “We have almost… Read More
First-Generation American Entrepreneur Needs Immigration Reform to Compete Globally
As Argentine immigrants, Betty Manetta’s parents worked long hours in factory jobs to put their daughters through private school. Witnessing her parents’ work ethic and their belief that education is the key to success, cultivated a drive in Manetta. After high school, she worked for Western Electric, put herself through… Read More
The U.S. Could Be Stonger Economically If It Utilized Immigrant Potential, Says Purdue University Professor
After completing an M.A. in mathematics in her native Germany, Brigitte Waldorf came to America in 1985, for a PhD program in geography at the University of Illinois. Like many foreign-born academics, she stayed on after graduating, working as a regional scientist for top-flight institutions including Princeton University and the… Read More
Immigration Policy Has a Real Impact on Employers’ Bottom Lines in Michigan Says Immigration Lawyer
Immigration lawyer Susan Im runs a respected Grand Rapids firm that serves employers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms, and has three employees and more than $500,000 in annual revenues. Im — who is a past chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)’s Michigan chapter, serves on… Read More
Immigration Policy Holding Back the Most Dynamic Industry in the Country, Says Top Venture Capitalist
Venky Ganesan, an Indian immigrant and prominent venture capitalist, believes that open borders have made America great. As a managing partner at Menlo Ventures, one of Silicon Valley’s oldest VC funds, Ganesan has seen just how important immigrants have been to the American economy. “Between one-third and one-half of the companies… 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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