Making the Immigration System Work for Our Economy

The White House
June 7, 2012

Recently, I had an opportunity to travel to Houston and speak to the business leaders there who are leading the effort to move beyond the heated immigration rhetoric, and to get to a place where we can talk about common sense solutions that are in the country’s best interest.

I was invited there by the Greater Houston Partnership and the Partnership for a New American Economy, a bi-partisan group of mayors and business leaders who believe that sensible immigration reform is essential for a strong economy. It was refreshing to hear the good ideas of this diverse group of small business owners, CEO’s, lawyers, and policymakers.

We talked about the need to encourage entrepreneurial talent by reducing barriers for high-skilled immigrants to come to the United States. One such effort is the USCIS “Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR)” initiative launched earlier this year. The initiative brings together a tactical team of startup company experts and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services experts and tasks them with a 90-day mission to streamline existing visa pathways for immigrant entrepreneurs who create jobs in America. The EIR tactical team is hard at work right now, and will soon announce the results of their work.

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