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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Immigration reform can let N.Y. benefit from world’s skills
Cornell University President David J. Skorton, Press Connects A growing number of Americans are coming around to an idea that the tech industry and other business groups have been promoting for quite a while: To fuel economic growth, especially in the tech sector, we need to make it easier for… Read More
The economic benefits of free trade in people
Linda Nazareth, The Globe and Mail If you believe that free trade in goods and services enhances growth (I do, as do all but a seriously select group of economists), then it is not much of a stretch to say that free trade in people should do the same thing. Read More
Immigration made U.S. world’s best startup
The Fresno Bee Immigration is pure entrepreneurship. You leave behind everything familiar to start somewhere new. To succeed, you need to develop alliances. You must acquire skills. You will have to improvise on occasion. It’s a bold proposition. Immigration is also fundamental to the U.S. national identity — as the… Read More
These Three Facts Prove That America Needs More Immigrants
Business Insider May 22, 2013 By Somesh Dash America finally has an opportunity to establish a sensible immigration policy in the coming months. The effects of the policy will have far reaching ramifications in terms of both economic and social implications for the country in years to come. Read More
Have Degree, Will Work
Inside Higher Ed November 13, 2012 A new student-directed documentary explores the difficulties international students face in attempting to work in the United States after they graduate. Students interviewed for the film describe frustrations in finding employers willing to sponsor their visa applications, long delays in visa processing times,… Read More
The Immigrant Entrepreneurship Decline in the U.S.
ThomasNet.com November 13, 2012 A recently released report from the Kauffman Foundation, found that the percentage of immigrant-founded companies nationwide dropped from 25.3 percent in 2005 to 24.3 percent last year. A closer look at Silicon Valley start-ups also revealed a more drastic decline: while 52.4 percent of tech… Read More
The Business Plan for American Revival
Wall Street Journal November 13, 2012 Four years ago, it was said that the incoming Obama administration aspired to the dynamic that existed in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet, where former competitors and antagonists came together to help the country through the Civil War. If Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals”… Read More
Selling Massive High Skill Immigration with GOP Talking Points
Forbes November 10, 2012 Let me try, very very quickly to put the case for high-skilled immigration into current GOP rhetoric: high-skilled immigration is importing more makers. If you see the country as approximately divided this way, and believe that the greater proportion of takers we have the worse… Read More
Immigrant Children Scoring High in STEM and Overall Achievement, Notes Houston Immigration Lawyer
Law Firm Newswire November 7, 2012 Houston, TX (Law Firm Newswire) November 7, 2012 – According to a new study by John Hopkins University, immigrant children who emigrated to the U.S. prior to their teenage years score higher in school engagement and academic achievements than U.S-born kids. The study… Read More
Fixing The Unemployment Problem
The Washington Examiner November 6, 2012 With the new Labor Department report showing slow job creation in October and an unemployment rate close to 7.9 percent, the winner of the presidential race will want to revive the job market to claim the mantle of success. Deloitte LLP, one of… 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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