Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Change to National Interest Waiver Standard Gives More Entrepreneurs a Path to Permanent Residence
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), recently issued Matter of Dhanasar, which changes the standard that USCIS officers must follow when deciding whether to approve a “national interest waiver” for an immigrant visa petition. This waiver is granted when the foreign national’s work… Read More
Administration’s Proposal Unlikely to Encourage Foreign Entrepreneurs to Choose the United States
The U.S. has long been the beneficiary of the new ideas and energy generated by immigrants, yet today’s U.S. immigration system does a poor job of accommodating foreign entrepreneurs who want to turn their ideas into a viable business. Recognizing the competitive disadvantage to the U.S., the Department of Homeland… Read More
White House Announces Proposed Rule to Encourage Foreign Entrepreneurs to Do Business in the United States
The White House announced a proposed rule to encourage entrepreneurs throughout the world to develop their ideas and create jobs in the U.S. This long-awaited initiative is part of the executive actions announced in November 2014. Under current immigration law, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has discretionary authority to… Read More
How Welcoming Immigrants Gave Chicago, Dayton, and Nashville a Boost
Three geographically diverse cities have created more welcoming environments for immigrants and each has implemented initiatives that promote immigrant entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities, to the benefit of all residents. Their efforts are detailed in the report “Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Welcoming Cities: Lessons from Chicago, Dayton, and… Read More
Giving the Immigration Facts a Fighting Chance
As we move through the 2016 presidential election cycle, the issue of immigration will continue to be a central topic of the debate. The United States is at a tipping point after more than two decades without meaningful upgrades to its immigration system. Current U.S. law does not provide sufficient… Read More
Immigrant Entrepreneurs Launch Over One in Four New Businesses
June is Immigrant Heritage Month in the United States, a celebration of our shared heritage as a nation of immigrants and a time to reflect on how immigrants boost our economy. While immigrants make up around 13 percent of the U.S. population, they play an outsize role in entrepreneurship… Read More
How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Move the U.S. Economy Forward
This week, National Small Business Week, which has occurred each year since 1963, recognizes the contributions of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the United States. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, which… Read More
Charlotte, NC Capitalizing on the Benefits of Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Charlotte, North Carolina, like many southern metropolitan areas, has grown rapidly in recent decades. In 2013, when Charlotte declared itself a “welcoming city,” one in ten residents (10.1 percent) in the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill metropolitan area were foreign-born, while one-third (32.6 percent) of “Main Street” business… Read More
How Small Business Immigrant Entrepreneurship Can Boost Economic Growth
Why is it important for places and organizations to connect the dots of immigrant entrepreneurship and local neighborhood economic growth? “Wherever you find immigrant growth you’ll find entrepreneurship. Some of the storefront businesses [in Iowa, for example…] would not be there without immigrant entrepreneurs,” Iowa State University researcher Sandra Burke… Read More
Groups Recommend How the White House Could Boost Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners contribute to local economies, often forming the backbone of neighborhoods. As part of his November announcement on immigration executive action, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum that creates a White House Task Force on New Americans to explore ways to… Read More
