Foreign-born entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs face obstacles different from those of their U.S.-born counterparts, including long delays in becoming a legal permanent resident that postpone new business creation, and visa categories that do not allow for entrepreneurship until permanent residence has been granted. Many foreign-born individuals enter the United States in a status that fails to guarantee they can remain in the United States on a permanent basis. Without the certainty that one can stay permanently, it is very challenging to formulate a long-term business strategy or attract investment. More than a million members of the workforce are also living in uncertainty with a status defined under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

Multiple media stories have pointed to the “Great Resignation” and the role the limits on legal immigration have played in labor shortages. These factors led organizations across the political spectrum to begin to work toward comprehensive immigration reform and pathways to citizenship. In the shorter term, to open opportunities and remove barriers for foreign-born individuals already in the U.S. in a temporary status, such as an H-1B visa holder or an international student, and for those who would come in the future, the federal government should:

• Increase the number of employment-based green cards and eliminate the per-country limit for high-skilled immigrants to decrease wait times.
• Establish a startup visa with a path to permanent residenc

Supporting Evidence

• Immigrants seeking to become a legal permanent resident wait an average of almost six years to get a green card, which is twice as long as the wait time was 30 years ago. Some wait far longer.
• Foreign students that study in the United States are less likely to stay in the United States as wait times for becoming a legal permanent resident increase.
• Immigrants seeking to become a legal permanent resident wait an average of almost six years to get a green card, which is twice as long as the wait time was 30 years ago. Some wait far longer.
• Foreign students who study in the United States are less likely to stay in the United States as wait times for becoming a legal permanent resident increase.
• Immigrants are nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start a business.
• More than half of all of America’s startups valued at $1 billion or more were started by at least one immigrant.
• Immigrants are playing an increasingly large role as new business owners. Between 1995 and 2012, the share of employer firms started by immigrants grew from about 16% to 25%.