As the November election creeps closer, the public is heavily focused on illegal immigration and its disastrous impacts. Biden is suing states for attempting to charge undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, business leaders are pleading for migrant workers to gain legal working rights. In the midst of a labor shortage, immigrants have become a plausible solution for America to jumpstart its faltering economy and compete internationally. As a business immigration lawyer who is also a zero-generation immigrant, I believe it's time for Congress to consider modernizing the policy toward lawful business immigration, which has remained largely unchanged for several decades. Implementing several comprehensive measures is the only way to fix a system that drives the brightest minds away.
America was built on the backs of courageous, skilled immigrants who took a chance in the land of the free. Today, foreign-born individuals represent 13.9%--46.2 million– of the total population. But America isn't welcoming or supporting talented immigrants. The country is penalizing them. For example, the H-1B work visa system is a lottery with limited spots and random selections. This goes to show that it doesn't matter what merit you have, your success relies on impeccable data entry and good luck.
