This afternoon, Engine released a letter signed by 118 startups, entrepreneurial organizations, and other companies—including GitHub, Postmates, Reddit, and Twitter—asking the Trump administration to reconsider its recent suspension of work visas for high-skilled foreign workers, including those issued under the H-1B visa program.
Immigrants play a vital role in our society, with more than half of the country’s most successful startups having immigrant founders or co-founders. The startup community in particular relies on the significant contributions of these workers—particularly H-1B visa holders—to drive innovation and develop new technologies. These workers strengthen the U.S. workforce by creating new jobs and allowing companies to more effectively compete on a global scale.
The administration’s decision to suspend work visas for high-skilled workers in the midst of a global pandemic severely hampers the tech sector’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. As the letter notes: “Only with access to a global pool of talent can companies and entrepreneurs advance new technologies and keep America at the forefront of global innovation.”
Engine and the other letter signatories are urging the Trump administration to reconsider their suspension of these critical visa programs, and instead focus on recovery and relief solutions that can best support startups and tech firms struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
You can read the full letter here.
