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
Diversity extends to business as immigrants open up shop
“People complain about this country, but there are so many (business) opportunities here you don’t even have time to get to them all.” So says Jose Brito, a native of the Dominican Republic who came to the United States 20 years ago. The 40-year-old is the founder and CEO of… Read More
Bipartisan I-Squared Act Introduced to Reform Business Immigration System
On January 13, 2015, Senators Hatch (R-Utah), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rubio (R-Fla.), Coons (D-Del.), Flake (R-Ariz.), and Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Immigration Innovation (“I-Squared”) Act of 2015, a major immigration reform bill addressing the high-skilled and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) immigration programs. Similar to… Read More
Obama, Immigration and Silicon Valley
The U.S. technology industry might finally get the immigration reform that it wants. Bipartisan Senate groups introduced two tech-focused bills this month. The Immigration Innovation Act – which increases the cap on H-1B Visas from 65,000 to 115,000, eliminates per-country limits on visa petitioners and lets spouses of H-1B visa… Read More
Statement on Senators Jerry Moran and Mark Warner’s Startup Act to Encourage Business Creation and Growth
CONTACT Ryan Williams, New American Economy, rwilliams@fp1strategies.com Following the re-introduction of Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mark Warner’s (D-VA) bill to attract and retain more foreign-born entrepreneurs and STEM graduates, New American Economy Chairman John Feinblatt issued the following statement: “Immigrant entrepreneurs are critical to the growth… Read More
Summit County, Breckenridge ski tourism might benefit from smarter visa laws
For international tourists, a weeklong ski vacation to Breckenridge begins months or even years before they set skis to snow. Take a family from Brazil: Before booking a room on Ski Hill Road, everyone in the family must first be approved for a nonimmigrant visa, commonly… Read More
Immigrant Founders Need Policy Reform To Keep Creating Tech Jobs
President Obama took executive action last November to further ease policies around skilled tech labor. However, our laws haven’t done much to help the foreign startup founders who create quite a few tech jobs here. A 2008 Kaufman Foundation study concluded that between 1995 and 2005, more than half of all Silicon Valley tech companies were… Read More
At last, sensible immigration reform may have a chance in Washington
Immigration reform has stalled because of ugly Republican politics and an insistence by the Democrats that it be all or nothing. This has taken a toll on the country’s economic growth and global competitiveness. Witness the rise of Chinese companies such as Alibaba and Xiaomi — which now have their… Read More
Immigrant Entrepreneurs Bring Vitality to Main Street, Help Local Economies Grow
Midtown Global Market, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a place where vendors hawk fresh produce, baked goods, coffee and espressos, and arts and jewelry. And as its more than 40 different businesses represent people from five continents, the market is one example of how a city can cultivate the… Read More
Bipartisan Senate bill eyes immigration reform for tech workers
A bipartisan team of senators lent a helping hand to the tech sector on Tuesday by introducing legislation to reform the immigration system for high-skilled workers. The bill, which was first introduced in 2013 but failed to move in Congress, would address a major demand of… Read More
The Most Entrepreneurial Group in America Wasn’t Born in America
Derek Cha arrived in America as a 12-year-old with his parents and three siblings. They came for familiar reasons: “In 1977, South Korea was a poor country,” Cha says. “My parents were looking for better opportunities and education for us.” After the family settled in California, his mother worked as… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
