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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Bloomberg: Lack of worker visas stalled economic growth in Research Triangle
The technology community in North Carolina and across the country continues to press for an immigration overhaul. Their latest effort involves a new self-funded report that argues existing visa lottery caps hurt U.S.-born tech workers in the Research Triangle. The pro-overhaul group, Partnership for New American Economy, released a … Read More
This study showed that high-skilled immigrants create jobs for Americans
The tech industry has become one of the biggest interests lobbying for immigration reform, for a straightforward reason: they say they can’t find enough qualified workers here in the US. If the government issued more high-skilled visas, they say, they could hire immigrants… Read More
Home builder rep: Immigration bill needed now
Rebuilding efforts due to tornadoes have sparked a surge in the construction industry throughout Oklahoma. In Norman, Moore and Oklahoma City, contractors were already stretched thin to keep up with the demand for new housing; the need to rebuild neighborhoods pressed the construction industry to its limits. This has driven… Read More
Young workers, entrepreneurs need pro-growth reform
A great thing about my job is I spend time working with Florida’s higher education institutions. Our colleges and universities create graduates and spur economic vitality. Florida has an excellent balance of both private and public institutions working in service for the people of Florida. Higher education is the springboard… Read More
More Than A Third Of The Top US Tech Companies Were Founded By People Born Outside The Country
In this year’s “state of the internet” presentation, Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker noted that more than a third of the top tech companies in the U.S. were founded by foreigners. According to a report from the … Read More
Florida needs immigration reform
The U.S. immigration system is broken and failing our economy. Meaningful immigration reform will ensure our nation’s security and drive economic growth. This is why Florida business leaders, many of them conservatives, are asking Congress to tackle immigration reform this year. In the state of Florida, 3.6 million residents are… Read More
CEO of Melaleuca works to pass immigration-reform legislation
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot is working with Republicans and Democrats to try to get immigration-reform legislation passed. VanderSloot said the United States should allow immigrants to work, cross the border freely and pay taxes. One way to do that is with good legislation. Read the… Read More
Tech Leaders Join the Fight for Immigration Reform
For decades, immigrants from all parts of the world have come to the United States, bringing with them their unsurpassed talents and ground breaking innovations. This entrepreneurial spirit was first fostered by our founding fathers and later matched by such brilliant minds as, telecommunications magnate Alexander Graham, Google founder and… Read More
Congress needs to act with urgency to fix badly broken immigration system
Everyone in Congress agrees that we have an unsustainable immigration crisis. This crisis includes porous borders, poor visa expiration controls, and a labor quota system that does not respond to the labor and production needs of our economy and is, in fact, detrimental to our country in its current state. Read More
Tea Party Express Co-Founder Backs Immigration Overhaul Efforts
The co-founder of and chief strategist for one of the biggest tea party organizations is coming out in support of overhauling the nation’s immigration laws, a bold statement that could energize advocates and alienate conservatives. Sal Russo of the Tea Party Express broke the news in an op-ed titled… 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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