Help U.S. economy with visas for the best and brightest
May 31, 2012 | Source: Bloomberg
(Credit: Derek Jensen/Wikimedia Commons)
To see the results of self-defeating U.S. immigration policies, you need only open your browser to www.canadavisa.com, where you’ll see a shrewd neighbor fishing for talent at U.S. expense.
At the top of the website, in large print, is the question: “Currently on an H1B Visa or otherwise working or studying in the United States?”
Canada is seeking skilled foreigners who’ve grown frustrated with the U.S. visa gantlet, which can take a decade for the lucky few who manage even to begin it.
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation last week to ease the logjam on visas. The Startup Act 2.0 would create a new visa for immigrants who graduate from U.S. universities with a master’s degree or doctorate in science, technology, engineering or math fields. It would also create an entrepreneur’s visa to enable immigrants with capital to start businesses and create jobs in the U.S.
A survey by the McKinsey Global Institute found almost two-thirds of companies say they have “positions for which they often cannot find qualified applicants, with management, scientists and computer engineers topping the list.”
A Kauffman Foundation report found that in 2011 immigrants were more than twice as likely to start businesses as native-born Americans. A Duke University study found that immigrants helped start more than a quarter of the technology and engineering companies established in the U.S. from 1995 to 2005.
A smarter, more open immigration policy can do much to create jobs and boost growth. In effect, the U.S. invests heavily in the education of foreigners — most of whom are enrolled in the science-related fields that fuel high-wage employment — and then prohibits them from pursuing job opportunities, allowing other nations to reap the benefits.
The U.S. no longer ranks first among nations in the percentage of its population with post-secondary education; it is 16th. It needs more of the foreign-born workers who have proved central to the creation of companies and jobs.
The Startup Act 2.0 has a window of possibility in this Congress. Senate and House leaders should put immigration politics aside and push it through.
Comments (9)
by Fred Bosick
No! We don’t need any more indentured servants(H-1B visa holders) undercutting citizens for jobs. A smarter immigration policy would be to allow all aspirants to enter the lottery on an equal basis. There is no need of a subsidy to technically intensive industries. A recent news article claims that more than half of unemployed Americans have college degrees. There is *no* shortage of technically competent citizens. Companies just don’t wish to pay an honest wage. If scientists were paid like CEOs, there’d be no shortage of innovation.
by Mr.x
Maybe you should take a look at the things those people studied in order to get their degree.I am willing to bet it was the easy, fun stuff e.g psychology. Smart persons would try to learn what potential employers could want and not just what they themselves like (or they go the way of self-employement).I also think that most good scientists have some kind of intrinsic motivation, otherwise these smart people would not be scientists in the first place.Paying them like CEOs does not sound that economically either.Last but not least, I do not believe there is a “shortage of innovation” (btw, for some things you do not need scientists to improve them).
by Mr.x
@Nyk. You know that IQ is a highly controversial concept?Most people who brag about their IQ have never done something tangible, worthwile themselves.The real measure of intelligence should be what you have done, considering your starting position.That would be roughly as arbitrary as an IQ test but much more practical (especially considering the topic).
“And virtually all of these immigrants come from populations of high average IQ, namely Jews, East Asians and Brahmin Indians.”
East asians in general have a higher average IQ than whites?I don’t think so (I also count China).I also think that differences between populations are strongly influenced by cultural factors.This becomes evident if you compare for example us-whites/blacks with people who did not immigrate /were immigrated (I know that this is not correct usage) from the respective places of origin.I believe intelligence(s) is(or are) highly specific and measuring ones IQ is only able to make predictions to the extent that it covers the range of things an individual is actually going to do afterwards.
Concerning start-ups one has to try to imagine the different payoffs of persons who are already settled down and those of newcomers.That way it becomes less of a mystery that immigrants start more businesses.
Low-IQ immigration to Europe is easily explainable if one considers that the greatest strength of democracy is also it greatest weakness.Most European democracies evolved into gerontocracies, whose main interest is to secure their “evening of life”.In the USA, I guess, it is part of the general tendency to build entrenched lines between ideological extreme positions.This is probably possible because people choose and support their political affiliations the same way they choose their favorite sports teams.
by Nyk
“A Kauffman Foundation report found that in 2011 immigrants were more than twice as likely to start businesses as native-born Americans. A Duke University study found that immigrants helped start more than a quarter of the technology and engineering companies established in the U.S. from 1995 to 2005.”
And virtually all of these immigrants come from populations of high average IQ, namely Jews, East Asians and Brahmin Indians. But, sadly, the US and European countries currently subsidize the breeding and immigration of the low-IQ groups, through welfare. This bodes ill for the Singularity, as scientific progress will only slow down in the following years, as low-IQ people increase their numbers and act as a burden for the ever smaller number of childless, high-IQ elites.
by Gorden Russell
You’re a good guy, GatorALLin, I hope you succeed. Let’s all hope this new law is passed.
by Socrates
Go Canada Go!
by GatorALLin
I have had to suffer with trying to get work visas, or green cards to keep working with great employees now for 2 different companies. The process is a waste of time and money and a reminder of what a joke of a system it truly is. This gives red tape and bureaucratic a bad name. As both are US companies, we can benefit from bringing in help from outside the USA and the talent pool for what we needed was just not available locally. I think over time tools like HDskype and gotomeeting.com and joinme.com will allow companies to work with more people and use online tools to simulate them working locally, however these online tools are still years away from being ideal.
by Khannea Suntzu
Oh we all know where this is going. This won’t be a dignified and orderly end of empire.
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRf7JariuqI&feature=uploademail
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zotYU21qcU
To have a technologically advancing future it has become critical that the US is cut down to size, and consumes in somewhat more fair amount to what people it has. And that moment is approaching swiftly.
by Marcos Marin
They should consider stopping groping people too. “Stopup Grope Act 2.0″ might avoid repelling the smart immigrants…