Immigration Reform and Entrepreneurs: Is it a Matter of Size or Scale?

For the time being, immigration reform is taking place in national debate. In this post, I want to discuss about this, regarding the lack of opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs. Last week, I had two approaches to the topic, which made me think about the relevance of entrepreneurship and immigration. The first one is related to EB5 Investor Visas, and the second one is regarding the entrepreneurs without documents. 

I had the opportunity to meet the director of one of the most successful tech-business accelerators in Pittsburgh. The purpose of the meeting was uncertain. I was trying to pitch him about my social venture, and he was trying to convince me to become an intermediary between his company and potential investors from Mexico. Facing this situation, I started listening to all his arguments. Pittsburgh area is looking to bring investments. U.S. Government supports investors through EB5 Visas, which are given to immigrants that invest at least half million dollars in the United States. Latin-American investors could be willing to look to migrate to the United States due to insecurity in their home countries, and looking for the “American Dream.”

Then, I pitched him about my project. He listened to me, and told me that it was a good idea. He offered me to stay at the accelerator to learn their business model during one year, and then exporting it to Mexico. Why one year? Because he cannot offer me a work visa, but I could use my optional practical training period under my student visa status to stay one more year after graduating.

I am just one of thousands of immigrant students pursuing a graduate degree under a student visa status with a potential good idea for a new social venture, which could bring profits to American investors, but we cannot do this in most of the cases due to legal limitations. I am confident about my return to Mexico, but what about those who do not want to go back their countries after graduating because they will not have opportunities, or simply because they want to look for the “American Dream.”

Furthermore, there could be thousands of brilliant young immigrants in the United States without documents that they do not have access to education or, if they have it, they probably will not receive offers to be part of a business incubator or accelerator, even if they have brilliant ideas. On the contrary, rich investors owning more than half million dollars in their home countries can be accepted to be part of the “American Dream,” even if their investments could not be so profitable as thousands of start-ups.

This situation was complemented by an invitation that I received to participate as speaker this April 10 in the Pittsburgh City Council, in order to talk about the importance of an immigration reform from a student stand point of view.

Several organizations and active movements in favor of an immigration reform will host a rally this April 10 around the United States of America. The goal is to create a national mobilization to show the necessity for an immigration reform. Currently, a bipartisan group of senators is working in designing an immigration reform bill that could include immigrants without documents, such as low-skill workers with several years working in the United States, and giving them access to health care, among other issues.

There are many small businesses in the United States of America that were started by immigrant entrepreneurs without documents such as landscape services, cleaning services, and construction services, among others. These small businesses in many cases are really successful and profitable. Even though, these could be more productive if workers could obtain documents to stay in the United States and they do not worry about deportation, or criminalization.

No one ensures that investing half million dollars in a new commercial development, in the long run, could be more or less successful than several small businesses with limited capital. Definitely, a comprehensive immigration reform should take into account this issue, which could be important for many immigrant entrepreneurs without documents, or young entrepreneurs with great ideas. What if the reform includes a mixed scheme of visas for big investors and small-business entrepreneurs indistinctly to their current legal status?