Our nation has always attracted individuals with
great drive and entrepreneurial spirit. To continue being a great global leader,
we must continue to attract and retain the next generation of immigrant
entrepreneurs who will start new businesses and create new jobs here in America.
Taking action on this front, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
kicked off its Entrepreneurs in Residence
(EIR) initiative last week with a stakeholder summit in Silicon Valley. The
host location was fitting, as NASA Ames Research Center Director Simon Worden
pointed out, since NASA programs have historically benefited from breakthroughs
by foreign-born scientists and engineers.
The stakeholder summit began with a special naturalization ceremony for over 20
people hailing from 13 countries who took the oath of citizenship. In addition,
five extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs and investors received the
Outstanding American by Choice recognition, and shared their own personal
stories of coming to America: Christopher Che, President and CEO of the Che
International Group; Ping Fu, President and CEO of Geomagic; Michael Moritz,
Partner at Sequoia Capital; Shervin Pishevar, Managing Director of Menlo
Ventures; and Vivek Wadhwa, the academic, researcher, writer, and entrepreneur.
In his Washington Post
column, Mr. Wadhwa shared what this special recognition meant to him:“When I
received the call from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director,
Alejandro Mayorkas, I had tears in my eyes. He told me that the government
appreciated all of my efforts to make the country more competitive and that my
criticisms of his department had motived his team to work harder to improve the
system. This is the greatness of America and why this country leads the world:
Disagreement and debate are cherished. Challenging the norms, thinking outside
the box, and questioning those in power is encouraged and celebrated.”
Thinking outside the box is exactly what the new
EIR initiative is all about. Over a period of 90 days, a tactical team made
up of both USCIS staff and
startup experts will identify ways to enhance existing policies, practices,
and training across a range of existing visa categories used by entrepreneurs.
The goal is to ensure that immigration pathways are clear and consistent, and
reflect the business realities of entrepreneurs interested in coming to the U.S.
to create jobs.
Last week’s stakeholder summit was an excellent start, bringing together a
diverse group of 150 entrepreneurs, attorneys, and other thought leaders from
across the country, all providing their expertise on the best ways to optimize
existing visa categories used by entrepreneurs seeking to launch their companies
in the U.S.
President Obama supports legislation to create a visa designed specifically for
startup founders, as part of his vision for a
21st century immigration system. But we don’t have to wait for Congress to
improve our immigration system and boost job growth. As part of the White
House Startup America
initiative, the Administration has taken action to
keep more talented science and math graduates in the country longer,
make it easier to start a company in the U.S., and
attract highly skilled immigrants, all under existing authority.
As they take up their 90-day mission, we look forward to the EIR team delivering
concrete results for immigrant entrepreneurs and the U.S. economy.