A third of America’s entrepreneurs come from the “other world.” The US University system is a magnet for two reasons … our great universities and our entrepreneurial economy.
Now we are weakening our universities, ignoring the international education market and joining Arizona in seeing that America remains “for Americans.”
Read more from Vivek Wadhwa, visiting scholar at the UC Berkeley School of Information (adapted):
Unable to get a visa that would allow him to start a company here, after he graduated from Wharton in 2007, Kunal Bahl returned home to India.
In February 2010, Kumal Bahl started SnapDeal—India’s Groupon. Instead of creating hundreds of jobs in the U.S., Kunal ended up creating them in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurship is booming in countries that compete with us. And more than half a million doctors, scientists, researchers, and engineers in the U.S. are stuck in “immigration limbo”. They are on temporary work visas and are waiting for permanent-resident visas, which are in extremely short supply. These workers can’t start companies, justify buying houses, or grow deep roots in their communities. Once they get in line for a visa, they can’t even accept a promotion or change jobs. They could be required to leave the U.S. immediately—without notice—if their employer lays them off. Rather than live in constant fear and stagnate in their careers, many are returning home.
read more at the Berkekey Blog.
BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) — Nearly 135,000 Chinese students returned home after finishing their education abroad in 2010, up 24.7 percent from 2009, said a senior human resources official here Friday.