Partnership for a New American Economy

Forbes
May 1, 2012

Earlier this month, in a rare moment of genuinely bipartisan lawmaking, the president signed into law the JOBS Act. Short for “Jumpstart Our Business Startups,” JOBS will roll back some of the regulatory barriers that small and mid-sized entrepreneurial ventures face in their efforts to grow and go public.

This is a great victory for the American start-up community. But there’s still so much more to be done. America’s start-ups are still the most vibrant and innovative in the world. Yet, they have been falling short of reaching their full potential. The JOBS Act dealt with the regulatory hurdles entrepreneurs hit when expanding; now, policymakers need to turn their attention to the hurdles in the way of talent acquisition.

No talent channel is more bogged down with needless and costly rules than the visa system for highly skilled immigrants. Every year, thousands of foreign citizens with advanced degrees in science and engineering apply to become permanent residents in the United States. They want to work and contribute. They also have valuable ideas for new businesses.

Click here to read the full story.