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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
An Ohio GOP argument for immigration reform
There has never been a better time for conservatives to take meaningful action on immigration reform. It is an issue that encompasses core values conservatives hold dear — job creation, economic growth, family values, work ethic, personal responsibility, enhancing national security and making government function properly. By leading instead of following… Read More
An Ohio GOP argument for immigration reform: Chris Gibbs (Opinion)
There has never been a better time for conservatives to take meaningful action on immigration reform. It is an issue that encompasses core values conservatives hold dear — job creation, economic growth, family values, work ethic, personal responsibility, enhancing national security and making government function properly. By leading instead of following… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN ILLINOIS
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com ILLINOIS FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 1.6 STEM job openings were posted online in Illinois for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in… Read More
Indian Student Develops Chlamydia Vaccine, Faces Challenges With U.S. Immigration System
Ashlesh Murthy, a former PhD student in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, is used to facing pretty daunting odds – both in his scientific endeavors and his personal life. As a child from a middle-class family in Bangalore, India, he needed an extremely… Read More
Modernizing visa system would help nation’s economy
When I retired after a career in the U.S. Marines, I wanted to find a way to continue to meaningfully contribute. So, I searched for a cutting edge technology to bring to market. Fortunately I was introduced to Dartmouth College chemistry professor Joe BelBruno, a leading expert in materials chemistry… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN IDAHO
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com IDAHO FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.4 STEM job openings were posted online in Idaho for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
‘Battle for Talent Is Global’: Rust Belt Seeks Visa Reform
After about 233,000 H-1B visa applications outstripped the cap of 65,000 in less than a week for the third year in a row, business and economic leaders across the Midwest—including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York—spoke out on the need for H-1B visa reform. “It’s a… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN IOWA
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com IOWA FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 3.4 STEM job openings were posted online in Iowa for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in… Read More
Sen. Hatch’s ‘I-Squared’ bill could more than double cap on high-skill visas
SALT LAKE CITY — The nation’s cap on high-skilled visas could more than double under legislation sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it had received 233,000 applications for 85,000 high-skilled visas. The cap allows for 65,000 visas for international workers with bachelor… Read More
Record number of H-1B applicants sparks immigration debate
PALO ALTO — Companies are seeking more foreign workers than ever before to fill highly skilled jobs in technology and other industries, but the United States will grant visas to just a fraction of them in a lottery that began this week. Anxious to bump up those visa limits,… 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.
