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and numerous barriers to residency in place for international students to stay after graduation, America's outdated immigration policy could allow other countries to out-compete us by attracting and keeping the best and brightest there and not here.
Norquist: More Immigrants Good Policy, Politics
National Journal October 18, 2012 Anti-tax crusader advocates immigration reform with path to citizenship for nation’s undocumented immigrants. At an immigration summit in Indiana, Norquist called immigration “the most important thing to focus on if you’re concerned with the future of the country, both as an economic power and… Read More
Opinion: Skilled Immigrants Are Uptapped Assets for Regional Economic Development
National Journal October 17, 2012 What do Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Dayton, Ohio, have in common? Each of these cities has endured decades of shrinking population—and each has recently identified skilled immigrants as a vital component of a healthy economy. Their economic-development agendas recognize that attracting and retaining talented newcomers… Read More
DREAMing of Economic Growth
Center for American Progress October 12, 2012 During an election year dominated by concerns about our economy, policymakers and voters easily draw connections between domestic issues, such as education, Medicare, or tax policies, and the health of our economy. But so far public discourse hasn’t connected the dots between… Read More
Arizona-Style Immigration Laws Hurt the Economy
Forbes October 12, 2012 With the “papers please” portion of Arizona’s recent immigration law SB 1070 going into effect, civil rights and watchdog groups are in overdrive readying for the litany of purported abuses and complaints. Lydia Guzman, president of Respect Respeto, a civil rights group in Arizona that… Read More
Embrace Hispanics’ Role In Strengthening Our Economy
The Tennessean October 11, 2012 As our country celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s not difficult to find areas where this nation continues to benefit from the significant contributions of the Hispanic immigrants who’ve come to our shores. Just last week, Americans witnessed Venezuelan-born Miguel Cabrera capture baseball’s Triple Crown,… Read More
The Immigrant Exodus: Why Washington Needs to Listen
Council on Foreign Relations October 10, 2012 I had the pleasure of hosting an event last week for Vivek Wadhwa to discuss his important and troubling new book, The Immigrant Exodus. Wadhwa, an entrepreneur turned scholar, has done more than anyone else to call attention to the critical role… Read More
Why Silicon Valley Is Losing Its Luster
CNN World October 3, 2012 Silicon Valley has been a key driver of U.S. growth in the last two decades. Just look at the rise of Apple, Google, and Facebook, and all the jobs and opportunities and new communities they’ve created. But the “secret sauce” behind this success might… Read More
With the Economy Sputtering, Obama Must Allow High-Skilled Immigrants
Forbes October 3, 2012 In the heated immigration debate, a bright spot has emerged—the bipartisan consensus that high-skilled immigrants benefit the economy. Yet even as Congressional Democrats and Republicans introduced competing bills this month to increase high-skilled immigration, the Obama administration is preparing to implement regulations that will restrict… Read More
New Report Shows Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act
The Center for American Progress and the Partnership for a New American Economy have released a new study entitled, “The Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act,” which finds that the passage of the DREAM Act would add $329 billion to the U.S. economy and create 1.4 million new jobs… Read More
America To Immigrants: ‘Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor’ But Keep Your Entrepreneurs
Washington Post October 2, 2012 Hardik Desai conceived a startup while he was studying for an MBA at the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University (OSU) in 2008. Based on research that the university was conducting, Desai came up with a new way to diagnose a group… 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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No one should face the immigration system alone
