Michigan’s great economic history is filled with success stories of immigrants who came to the state with a hard-work ethic and an ambition to succeed.
Today, attracting immigrants with a dream of economic achievement is a key piece in the revitalization of Detroit.
At the beginning of the year, Gov. Snyder created the Michigan Office for New Americans and called on the federal government to secure an additional 50,000 employment-based visas over five years for skilled immigrants who would live and start businesses in Detroit.
He also urged Washington to approve Michigan’s application to become only the second state with a state-sponsored EB-5 visa regional center to attract investment and create jobs.
As states search for a sensible immigration policy, Michigan’s Office for New Americans is timely and far-sighted. And, amid the ongoing national immigration policy debate, the initiative sends a powerful message of inclusion at a time when innovation and flexibility are the hallmarks of the innovation-based economy.
The aim of the Michigan Office for New Americans is to draw highly skilled immigrants with advanced academic degrees who plan permanent relocation to Detroit. The potential impact is promising: Increasing the population of Michigan’s largest urban area and spurring economic growth will attract much-needed residents and businesses to the city.
The impact will be felt beyond Detroit.
It’s estimated that the high-skilled visa program will create 14,100 jobs throughout Michigan by 2020. Further, the likely business expansions over the next 30 years would add an estimated $3.9 billion to the state’s gross product and increase personal income by more than $3.8 billion, according to the American Immigration Council.
While immigrants have established some of the largest corporations in the state – Dow and Masco, to name a few – the endeavors of many new settlers can be found in the thriving small businesses in areas such as the Hispanic community in southwestern Detroit, Slovakian communities around Hamtramck and Middle Eastern communities in Dearborn.
Since 2011, there has been a collaborative effort to recognize immigrants’ contributions to Michigan. Through Global Michigan, a joint program between the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the state aims to attract talent, retain university graduates and connect immigrant business investors with local development opportunities.
History offers further insight into what to expect from an influx of business-minded immigrants.
Nationally, immigrants start businesses at twice the rate of native-born Americans. Nearly 30 percent of U.S. small businesses started in 2011 were founded by immigrants. And, during the last decade, immigrants created about 33 percent of the high-tech businesses at a rate six times the rest of the population, ranking Michigan third in the U.S.
The reinvention of the Michigan economy is remaking the future, a place where the contributions of immigrants will continue to play a central role in the state’s growth. Attracting productive residents – as workers and business owners – is a key part of economic growth.
Last year, for the first time in 16 years, Michigan did not lose population — a compelling indication of a more vibrant business and cultural environment for residents along with prospective residents and businesses.
In the great melting pot of world cultures and global automotive capital, Michigan’s Office for New Americans harnesses the power of ingenuity by opening its arms to immigrants and entrepreneurs with the credentials and ambition to make their dream a reality.
Many more American success stories are ready to be told.
Michael Finney is president/CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, talent and jobs, tourism, film, and digital media incentives, arts and cultural grants, and overall economic growth.
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