Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C.'s Immigration Update (3/15/2015)

Dear Readers:

Immigrants make cities more economically competitive. Specifically, immigrants (1) contribute to a dynamic labor force and spur economic growth, (2) are more likely to start businesses and create jobs in their cities, (3) are critical to helping cities counteract population decline thereby keeping economies vibrant and strong, (4) make cities more attractive by raising housing values; and (5) contribute to a talented workforce through higher levels of education. Immigrant business owners contribute to communities across America. Recent reports show the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation to local economies, and recent trends show the ways in which local leaders encourage an inclusive environment through integration initiatives.

The tide is turning . . . business leaders across the Midwest overwhelmingly back comprehensive immigration reform. A recent report about comprehensive immigration reform finds that 65 percent of Midwest business leaders strongly support the Senate's (S.744) immigration reform bill passed in June 2013. The support for reform is bipartisan, and the preference is for legislation that addresses many components of immigration reform rather than addressing individual components in a piecemeal approach. Specifically, 75 percent of Republican business leaders support the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Improvements to the EB-5 Investor Visa Program can strengthen its use and better accomplish its central goal of aiding regional economic development. By aligning similar goals in mutually beneficial arrangements among regional centers and economic development agencies (EDAs), such organizations can capitalize on their often complementary resources in order to leverage more funding and reduce risk for investors. Immigrants and their children help grow our economy. Despite an aging population and slower population growth, the U.S. has a healthier demographic outlook compared with other western countries thanks to immigration.

Citizenship is an important component of successful immigrant integration. There is an important citizenship premium that should be factored into economic calculations of immigration reform. According to one recent report: "the bump to a country's economy that arises after immigrants become citizens. This bump comes in the form of higher wages and more tax revenue collected from naturalized citizens, all of which spurs more overall economic activity." If immigration reform does not include a reasonable path to citizenship, then the U.S. is "leaving dollars on the table" due to the economic benefits that citizenship presents.

For more information about the way that immigration to the U.S. helps to build our nation's economic infrastructure, please feel free to contact any of the immigration and nationality lawyers and/or attorneys at info@visaserve.com or feel free to call is at 201-670-0006 (x107).

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