Business and the Workforce
Immigrants not only bring diverse skills and perspectives to the U.S. workforce, they often fill employment gaps in crucial fields. We advocate for expanded work visas and related programs so our labor force can continue to benefit from immigrant workers and remain competitive in the global economy
Pakistani Immigrant, Navy Reservist, Successful Businessman Believes in a “Nation of Optimism and Ideas”
When Ali Samana came to the United States from Pakistan as a 13-year old, he immediately adopted America as his home. “This is my country of choice,” he says. “I make a conscious choice every day to be an American.” Nearly 20 years later, Samana is a U.S. citizen, a… Read More
Immigration Policy Has a Real Impact on Employers’ Bottom Lines in Michigan Says Immigration Lawyer
Immigration lawyer Susan Im runs a respected Grand Rapids firm that serves employers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms, and has three employees and more than $500,000 in annual revenues. Im — who is a past chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)’s Michigan chapter, serves on… Read More
Young Republican Argues for Fiscally Responsible Approach to Undocumented Immigrants
Michael Banerian, the youth vice-chair of the Michigan Republican party, is a 22-year-old political science major at Oakland University, a part-time salesman and deliveryman for his family’s Detroit-based wine-distribution business — and a proud fourth-generation Armenian-American. “When you look at the American dream, and the successes people have been… Read More
Immigration Policy Holding Back the Most Dynamic Industry in the Country, Says Top Venture Capitalist
Venky Ganesan, an Indian immigrant and prominent venture capitalist, believes that open borders have made America great. As a managing partner at Menlo Ventures, one of Silicon Valley’s oldest VC funds, Ganesan has seen just how important immigrants have been to the American economy. “Between one-third and one-half of the companies… Read More
Latina Entrepreneur Says Immigrants Play an Important Role Filling STEM Positions
Laura Sanchez, one of a tiny number of Latinas who own IT companies in the Chicago area, is proud to be a link between Chicago’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Hispanic communities. Sanchez was born in Mexico got her degree from Tec de Monterrey, a school she… Read More
How Can the U.S. Attract and Retain STEM Graduates?
International doctoral students are significantly more likely than native-born U.S. students to major in and graduate from STEM fields In fact, international students make up about 40 percent of all STEM Ph.D. students, and are expected to comprise half of all STEM Ph.D. graduates by 2020. A new report by… Read More
CEO of Mavin Global says Immigration System Makes U.S. Firms Less Competitive
Sai Naik’s father came to America from Mumbai in the 1960s with little more than the few cents in his pocket and an abiding love of Elvis Presley. Over the decades that followed, he earned a PhD in materials engineering, held a series of well-paid jobs, and went on to… Read More
Immigration System is Holding Back Social Enterprise
In 2007, Catalina Rojas and her husband started the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN), a social enterprise that connects more than 35,500 professionals, organizations, and students with the resources they need to scale social change. With help from their two part-time employees, their goal for this year is to… Read More
Immigrant Entrepreneur Wants to Bring 500 Jobs to Tennessee, Needs Immigration Reform to Do It
When Darius Mir opened his company Made in America (MIA) Seating in Union City, Tenn. two years ago, he pledged to create 500 jobs for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district in five years. Despite earning a projected $50 million in group sales this year alone, the U.S. immigration system may actually… Read More
This Regional Franchise Owner Recognizes Value of Immigrant Business Owners
As the regional franchise owner for commercial cleaning giant Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems Midwest, Alison Mairet oversees more than 40 franchisees, ranging in size from single-person businesses with revenues of $5,000 a year to million-dollar operations with large teams that serve scores of commercial clients. Mairet estimates that 40 percent of… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.