Last night President Obama announced his executive action to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. Key provisions of the Executive Order benefit the innovation ecosystem and represent a victory for NVCA. Here is a short recap of the provisions that relate to high-skilled immigrant entrepreneurs, the venture capital industry and why this is such an important achievement for NVCA. Read more
The much-talked about Wall Street Journal piece from Rupert Murdoch on the urgent need to pass immigration reform shines a bright light on the need for Congress to come together and act. While Murdoch is one of many, many voices championing this issue, his piece stands in contrast to the cacophony of voices who are sending immigration reform to the legislative graveyard.
Murdoch’s voice is important because he makes one point crystal clear: Immigration reform is not dead. As a nation we cannot pass on this opportunity to reform our immigration system because the engine of the U.S. economy—innovation and entrepreneurship—depends on the foreign-born entrepreneurs who come to America to build new businesses. Read more
NVCA has joined forces with the Partnership for a New American Economy in an effort to increase awareness of the need for comprehensive immigration reform in the run-up to President Obama’s State of the Union address tomorrow. Specifically, we are asking our members to change their profile pictures – on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms – to the pro-reform images posted here. Also, please share your messages of support using the hashtag #iamimmigration. Read more
Late yesterday the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration proposal by a margin of 68 to 32, with 14 Republicans joining all of the Chamber’s Democrats in favor of the measure. For the venture industry and our entrepreneurs, as well as the broader high-tech and life science communities, the bill represents a critical recognition of the linkage between high-skilled immigration and broader U.S. economic competitiveness and job creation.
NVCA worked closely with Senators Bennet (D-CO), Shaheen (D-NH), Warner (D-VA) and Udall (D-CO) to clarify portions of the newly created INVEST visa for entrepreneurs as the Senate debated the broader bill. We’ll be reviewing the final details of the bill as passed by the Senate and will share further analysis in the coming days. But, we’re hopeful that the combination of increased access to green cards for those graduating from U.S. universities, the INVEST visa for entrepreneurs that want to start a company, and the increased number of H-1B visas available will create a smoother pathway for entrepreneurs than has been possible. Read more
In the last several weeks the buzz around high-skilled immigration reform has noticeably increased with many groups across the country contributing to the campaign to enact meaningful change in this area. We, at the National Venture Capital Association, are extremely encouraged by the public support and momentum around an issue that we have long supported. Each and every group has a role to play as the debate moves forward. For the NVCA’s part, we do our best work in Washington D.C., often out of the public spotlight, helping to frame and advocate for those provisions most important to the venture capital industry and the companies in which we invest. These efforts, combined with more public campaigns from other coalitions who share our goals, will continue in earnest as immigration reform moves through the Senate, and eventually, hopefully through the House of Representatives. Read more
