The below article is published by Fierce Homeland Security which reports on the US Chambers of Commerce calling for immigration options for immigrant entrepreneurs, a subject I feel very strongly about. – Tahmina
U.S. Chamber of Commerce argues for entrepreneur-friendly immigration practices
The government should create special visas and for potential entrepreneurs and adjust its bureaucracy to ease the immigration process for those who might start businesses or fill skilled labor positions in the United States, says a Jan. 22 report (.pdf) from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Immigration Policy Center.
A new visa category for immigrant entrepreneurs would help the United States compete for people around the world who can start businesses, produce innovations and create jobs for U.S. workers, the report says. Current law typically only permits foreign nationals to remain in the United States if they are employed by an existing company or can invest $500,000 or more, it adds.
There should also be a visa status for students and others who are already lawfully in the United States that grants them a conditional status and time to create and develop a business, says the report.
The report also calls for an “entrepreneur-friendly culture” among those at the Homeland Security Department who adjudicate immigrant applications. To do so, staff should be trained in how 21st century businesses, especially start-ups, operate. DHS should also engage entrepreneurs and new businesses to get feedback on their circumstances and DHS’s process.
The report points out that, according to Census data from 2010 and 2011, 5.1 percent of naturalized citizens were employed in their own incorporated businesses, compared with 3.7 percent of native-born citizens. In Massachusetts, immigrants founded 61 percent of the state’s new businesses in 2008, even though they make up only 14 percent of the state’s population.
Many of those businesses are small businesses like restaurants, food stores and real estate firms, which immigrants often start in low-rent neighborhoods that the businesses help revive. But these entrepreneurs often lack education credentials, in contrast to high-profile immigrant entrepreneurs in science and technology, so DHS should establish visa categories that cater to their circumstances, the report adds.
For more:
– download the report (.pdf)