Committed to Bipartisan and Common Sense Immigration Reform
The United States created its current immigration system more than half a century ago. The New Jersey Business Immigration Coalition believes that such an outdated and inefficient system cannot meet the needs of a vibrant, 21st century economy. For this reason, the Coalition is committed to sharing the best research and thinking on immigration policy with policy-makers, business leaders, and the public at large. Our goal is to achieve sensible and evidence-based immigration reform -- reform that enables us to draw on talent and labor from all over the world, calibrates immigration with the needs of the economy, and sustains our competitive advantage and core values as a “nation of immigrants.”
Strengthening the H-1B Visa Program
The H-1B visa program has served as the primary entry point for high-skilled immigrants to the United States. These visas are only available to foreigners with college degrees in STEM, medical, and other select fields. As a state with over 20,000 H-1B visa recipients per year, New Jersey business leaders have a special interest in this program. The Coalition is mindful of both the advantages and shortfalls of the program. Our members are especially concerned about recent program changes that may push jobs and creative investments out of the United States. For this reason, we recruited local and national experts on this topic for a webinar to discuss potential reforms and how the program might be restructured to improve outcomes. Click on the button below to learn more about, and to watch a video of, this program.
Opening Doors to New Americans
How do people trained, licensed, and with work experience in another country re-enter their professions in America? Unfortunately, many encounter a number of obstacles that block them from getting the right jobs and lead to what is often called “brain waste.” Fortunately, many states are taking steps to correct this problem. In a recent webinar, the Garden State Immigration Policy Institute brought together representatives from three states that have done pioneering work in this area. This work is especially important in regulated industries like education, engineering, and healthcare that currently face significant labor shortages that are predicted to get worse in the future.
Nominations Wanted for the Coalition's
2026 Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards Program
L to R: Dr. John Pelesko, Provost NJIT who accepted the 2025 Immigrant of the Year award for Dhiraj Shah; Dr. Suresh Kumar, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award; and Arthur Kapoor, winner of the Immigrant Entrepreneur Growth Award
Throughout New Jersey’s history, immigrant entrepreneurs have helped power the state’s economic growth and prosperity. Through their talent, innovation, and hard work, they have accelerated growth in emerging industries, fueled the competitiveness of existing industries., and created jobs for native-born workers.
In order to pay tribute to New Jersey’s immigrant entrepreneurs, the Coalition runs an annual awards program - now in its 13th year. The program welcome nominations in six different categories and presents its awards at the annual Statewide Multicultural Business Expo on June 23.
For more information about these awards, look at this link. If you would like to place a name in nomination, the nomination form is easy to complete. We hope you can join us in acknowledging the vital role of our immigrant entrepreneurs.
The Consequences of Global Population Decline
Declining replacement birth rates are emerging in nations around the globe, including the United States. Demographers forecast that, for the first time in 700 years, the world's population may begin to decrease. Will there be a decline in the number of immigrants, and will the competition to attract them become fiercer among developed economies? Is the U.S. ready to face such a challenge? Are there strategies to boost birth rates to mitigate or prevent the anticipated population decline? This Coalition program attempts to answer these pivotal questions relying on the knowledge and insights of three distinguished speakers. For more information about the program and to watch a video, click on the button below.
The Impact of Immigration on
US-Born Workers
On January 16, 2025, the Coalition organized a special program on “the Impact of Immigration on U.S.-Born Workers.” This topic is not a new one. It has stimulated discussion throughout American history and deserves careful attention today. Under what circumstances does immigration strengthen the overall economy, including the job prospects and earnings levels of American workers? And when might immigration harm the interests of U.S.-born workers? Our distinguished keynote speaker and four panel members did an oustanding job tackling these questions. Click on the button below for more information about, and to watch a video of, this program.
The Vital Role of Immigrants
in the New Jersey Health Sector
New Jersey greatly benefits from the labor and skills of immigrants, who make up almost 30% of all healthcare positions in the state, including 41% of physicians, 30.2% of surgeons, and 29.7% of registered nurses. Immigrants are also a huge presence among workers in the direct care industry. Evidence also seems to suggest that the need for immigrant labor in the healthcare sector will intensify in the years ahead. Demographers predict that over a million new
healthcare jobs will be created nationally by 2032. Despite efforts to attract and train more U.S.-born workers to fill these positions, a huge and dangerous gap between available jobs and the supply of workers will persist, unless legal pathways for the entry of foreign-trained healthcare professionals can be created. To learn more about this impending crisis, and its impact on the availability and quality of healthcare in our state, the Coalition organized a special program on December 5, 2023. Click on the button below for more information about this program.
International Students at Rowan University
Coalition Calls Attention
to the Pivotal Role of
International Students
in the American Economy
The Garden State Immigration Policy Institute, a joint undertaking of the NJ Business immigration Coalition and the NJ Business & Industry Association, convened a special program on May 11, 2023, to study the economic contributions of international students and scholars and to identify policy reforms that would restore American
leadership in attracting international talent to the United States. Featured speakers included Stuart Anderson, Executive Director of the National Foundation for American Policy, and Miriam Feldblum, Director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a national coalition of more than 500 college and university presidents interested in advancing effective immigration policies. The program also included a panel of officials from five New Jersey colleges and universities talking about their experience in working with international students and scholars. Based in part on the discussions that took place at this event, the Coalition developed a number of policy recommendations on this topic that have been shared with members of the NJ congressional delegation.
Coalition Examines the Role of Temporary Foreign Workers
in the New Jersey Economy
Labor force shortages have adversely affected many industries in New Jersey. Many of these industries rely on temporary foreign workers, legally admitted to the U.S., to fill positions that are seasonal or short-term in nature. Although these programs are intended to fill an important gap in the U.S. labor market, their shortcomings were apparent during the discussion that took place at a special Coalition program on December 1, 2022.
The Role of Immigration in Easing Labor Shortages in New Jersey
The Coalition convened a group of national experts and industry representatives to discuss the connection between labor shortages and immigration levels on June 16, 2022. This virtual program was the inaugural event of the Garden State Immigration Policy Institute, a joint project of the NJ Business Immigration Coalition and the NJ Business and Industry Association. To watch a video of the program, click on the button below.
Coalition Calls For an Immediate Legislative Solution
to the DACA Problem
At a time when there are labor shortages throughout many sectors of the economy, this is not the time to burden employers with the task of replacing the more than 10,000 talented DACA workers in New Jersey. For too long, these "dreamers" have been waiting for congressional action that never comes. Now they are threatened with court revocation of their temporary status. Members of both parties have signaled a willingness to regularize their status, and the great majority of Americans support such a solution, yet some lawmakers consider them bargaining chips in negotiations that never seem to go anywhere.
Gateways for Growth Grant
In partnership with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Mercer County Office of Economic Development, the Coalition secured a "Gateways for Growth" grant to produce a report on the demographic and economic contributions of immigrants to Mercer County. Click the link below to read the report.
Opening the International Talent and Labor Pipeline
How can immigration policy promote economic recovery and growth? How can we revive a bipartisan consensus on immigration? These were some of the questions discussed at a program entitled, "Opening the International Talent and Labor Pipeline," organized by the Coalition in partnership with the NJ Business and Industry Association on April 30, 2021. To access a video of the event, click on the link below.
