As all entrepreneurs and business leaders know, starting your own business is challenging. Securing financing, building a team you can trust, finding office space, and numerous other activities involved in building a business take time and resources. Can you imagine the added stress of getting deported added to this list? Unfortunately, that is exactly what seems to be happening in the United States today. Men and women are working hard to bring ideas to light and create innovative products or services all the while not knowing if they could be forced out of their office, and the country, at any time by Federal officials.
The latest mood in the U.S regarding immigration strikes a grim chord in the hearts of many individuals. The current administration’s decision to revamp immigration guidelines could affect men and women who enter to the U.S to create a better life and live in an open-minded country with unlimited resources and talents.
America Was Built From The Minds Of Immigrants
The very definition of immigration is the act of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. In the past, the U.S was thought of as a haven from religious persecution and human rights violations. The Statue of Liberty has beckoned generations of weary travelers to “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Today, many immigrants arrive to take advantage of the first-rate education system and a climate of innovation. Some would like to become permanent residents because they have built relationships with other great minds in academia or business ventures and they want to continue to collaborate.
The Invisible Entrepreneur Visa
There are numerous types of visas in the U.S. For example, an immigrant visa is issued to people who can live permanently in the U.S. while nonimmigrant visas are for tourist, short-term business needs, work or schooling. However, not one form of visa allows for an individual who has created a company from the ground up in the U.S. to stay in the country. For this reason, numerous talented entrepreneurs are in danger of deportation due to their immigration status.
The addition of an entrepreneurial visa would take into consideration individuals who have created companies in the U.S. These companies, in turn, provide jobs and advance the bottom line of local economies.
Essential Entrepreneurs
What is the risk of immigrant entrepreneurs being forced to leave? Chances are, they will run their U.S.-based companies from abroad or leave altogether and relocate to somewhere more welcoming. This takes jobs, talent, innovative thought, and dollars out of the U.S. economy. The Harvard Business Review reports that in the U.S., immigrants are almost twice as likely to become entrepreneurs as native-born U.S. citizens. These are entrepreneurs like Elon Musk who founded Tesla and SpaceX, and Sergey Brin who co-founded Google. There are dozens and dozens of immigrants who have founded innovative companies and created thousands of jobs for Americans.
Many immigrants want to bring their creativity and innovation to America. They thrive in an environment that encourages genius and imagination. But more and more many immigrants are feeling threatened and not sure if it would be a wise idea to start a company in the U.S.
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