Cambridge Business Association
Heartland Visas
Report

Heartland Visas

How a new place-based, high-skilled visa can help revive growth in the American Heartland

John Lettieri, Connor O'Brien and Adam Ozimek
EIG, 2024
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Visionary
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

The United States has long thrived on innovation and entrepreneurship, attributes that lifted communities and provided them a better quality of life. But huge parts of the United States have stagnated from the aftereffects of globalization and technology. Economic consultants John Lettieri, Connor O'Brien, and Adam Ozimek offer suggestions to reinvigorate economic activity and address immigration issues. Their Heartland Visa program could prove a welcome alternative to the current burdensome visa application process, bringing in much-needed talent and offering areas of America opportunities for renewed prosperity.

Summary

The current US visa allocation process is cumbersome and flawed.

The H-1B visa allocation system operates by lottery to distribute a limited quantity of visas. The number available to private employers has remained unchanged for nearly 20 years. Green cards, which allow immigrants to get jobs, are scarce. Additionally, America limits the distribution of green cards based on employment. Applying for them proves a time-intensive and inefficient process.

The waiting list for the citizens of many countries, especially India, is quite long and expected only to increase. This sclerotic process hinders American firms’ ability to lure the most highly qualified professionals.

Economically disadvantaged regions in the United States could benefit from an influx of highly educated and trained professionals.

A number of areas in the United States have fallen on hard...

About the Authors

John Lettieri is President and CEO of Economic Innovation Group, an economic consultancy, where Connor O’Brien is a research and policy analyst and Adam Ozimek is Chief Economist.

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