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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Hispanics bring entrepreneurial spirit to U.S.
Twelve years ago, Claudia Mirza walked into the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as a job applicant. She walked out as her own boss — or, at least, with the idea of how she could create a business. But her company has far exceeded her original vision. Akorbi started… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN WASHINGTON
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com WASHINGTON FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.1 STEM job openings were posted online in Washington for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
Strain Placed on Russian Entrepreneur’s Business Because of H-1B Visa Cap
Up until 2011, Denis Kiselev was leading a successful career in financial services in his native Russia. He had a postgraduate degree in economics from The Ohio State University, but like so many other foreign-born students, he had returned home after graduation. After fifteen years in financial services, however, Kiselev… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN VERMONT
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com VERMONT FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 4.8 STEM job openings were posted online in Vermont for every 1 unemployed STEM… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN VIRGINIA
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com VIRGINIA FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 3.3 STEM job openings were posted online in Virginia for every 1 unemployed STEM… Read More
University of Virginia Loses Bright, Talented Professor to China Because of Arduous Visa Process
Dr. Yuanbo Zhang, a physics professor in Shanghai, once had a promising career ahead of him in the United States. In 2000, Zhang, a China native, began a graduate program in physics at Columbia University, eventually earning his PhD in… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN UTAH
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com UTAH FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 1.5 STEM job openings were posted online in Utah for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN TEXAS
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com TEXAS FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.5 STEM job openings were posted online in Texas for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
Mexican-Born Professor, Inventor, and Entrepreneur is Living Her Dream Life in Texas
In some parts of Texas, immigrant inventors and startup founders are helping to revitalize areas hard hit by unemployment. One prime example: McAllen, Texas, a city in the Rio Grande Valley, where one promising nanotechnology startup that originated at the University of Texas–Pan American is already being heralded as a… Read More
Indian Software Engineer Starts Successful Tech Company in America, but Growth is Slowed by Broken U.S. Immigration System
Harvinder Singh knows all sides of the tech industry. Originally from northern India, Singh was hired in 1998 on an H-1B visa as a software engineer to help prepare for Y2K. After the millennium arrived without incident, Singh was out of a job, but he didn’t want to go back… 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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