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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Immigrant Entrepreneur Named “Engineer of the Year”
Dr. Karen Lozano is no stranger to public recognition for her achievements. A Mexican-born professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and a leading researcher in the field of nanotechnology, Lozano has won prizes ranging from R&D grants to outstanding teaching awards. Still,… Read More
50 Years Later, How Far Have We Come: A Look at the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act
Tomorrow, October 3, marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. On this day 50 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech from New York’s Liberty Island, introducing to the nation a vision for a more inclusive, more capable… Read More
Business forum discusses bringing international talent to Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Welcoming people from other countries and encouraging them to get involved in the local business scene was the goal of a forum today at the Seelbach Hilton. Greater Louisville Inc. and several other groups talked about how the city can attract economic talent from around the… Read More
Immigration and Louisville
Find out about the contributions of new Americans in Louisville.
Tech and immigration: ‘PJ’ stays for now, but Echo Labs’ fate up in the air
You might have heard about the campaign to “Let PJ Stay.” Well, PJ — a Belgian entrepreneur whose student visa was set to expire soon and who had recently become the face of tech’s push for immigration reform — gets to stay. But he and his company may have to… Read More
Why Louisville Needs to Go Global
Recently, our region welcomed more than 170,000 visitors from around the country and the world for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. Every year during this time, we show the world the best of what Greater Louisville has to offer. While Derby is a grand show and source of… Read More
Freeflow Research focuses on boosting Texas job market
America is losing the global STEM job market, largely because increasing numbers of qualified STEM graduates are immigrants returning to work and create businesses in their home country. Fortunately, San Antonio is tackling the “brain drain” problem head on. Freeflow Research, a non-profit global accelerator, was created to connect foreign-born students, business owners and investors with resources and opportunities… Read More
Sessions wrong about immigration’s impact
Sen. Jeff Sessions wrote a recent op-ed for theWashington Post headlined “America needs to curb immigration flows.” He was not talking about illegalimmigration. He was talking about legal immigration. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Immigration subcommittee, our senator’s view is significant. If there are good reasons to curb… Read More
What US manufacturing needs to succeed
Today, manufacturing in the U.S. is as resilient and robust as ever. But to continue manufacturing’s success in the U.S., we must create a business environment that enables our progress. We need an environment that helps manufacturers succeed. Manufacturing in the U.S. has succeeded because our solutions are grounded on… Read More
High-Skilled Immigrants in Wisconsin
WISCONSIN FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.2 STEM job openings were posted online in Wisconsin for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the state. As STEM fields grow, this problem will likely… 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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