{"id":8947,"date":"2022-09-25T21:49:04","date_gmt":"2022-09-25T21:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=8947"},"modified":"2022-09-25T21:49:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-25T21:49:04","slug":"55-of-americas-top-startups-were-founded-by-immigrants-why-wont-congress-let-in-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lonecandle.com\/?p=8947","title":{"rendered":"55% of America’s Top Startups Were Founded by Immigrants. Why Won’t Congress Let in More?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\n“Immigrants are 80 percent<\/a> more likely than native-born Americans to found a firm, according to a study released this May by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But more than that, a report<\/a> released this week by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) indicates that immigrants are disproportionately responsible for starting high-value companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the NFAP, a nonprofit that researches trade and immigration, immigrants have started<\/a> 319 of 582, or 55 percent, of America’s privately-held startups valued at $1 billion or more. Over two-thirds of the 582 companies “were founded or cofounded by immigrants or the children of immigrants,” notes<\/a> the NFAP. For comparison, approximately 14 percent<\/a> of America’s population is foreign-born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, the immigrant-founded companies are valued<\/a> at $1.2 trillion and employ 859 people on average. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has the largest valuation at $125 billion, employing 12,000 workers; Gopuff, a food delivery service valued at $15 billion, has 15,000 employees; Stripe, a payment platform valued at $95 billion, employs 7,000; and Instacart, a grocery delivery service valued at $39 billion, has 3,000 workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings are notable, the NFAP points out<\/a>, since “there is generally no reliable way under U.S. immigration law for foreign nationals to start a business and remain in the country after founding a company.” A large share of the immigrant startup founders came to the country as refugees, on family-sponsored green cards, or through employment-based pathways for other companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our employment-based pathways for immigrant entrepreneurship are so poorly designed, migrant businesses are often associated with non\u2013employment based pathways,” points out Sam Peak, an immigration policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity. Peak notes that refugees “have the highest rates of entrepreneurship of any other immigrant group,” and family-based migration, “especially among siblings, is also strongly tied to new business formation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers have introduced a number of measures this year meant to bring more entrepreneurial and highly educated immigrants to the United States, but many of these have been included in\u2014and eventually stripped from\u2014larger bills.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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55% of America’s Top Startups Were Founded by Immigrants. Why Won’t Congress Let in More?<\/a><\/blockquote>