Immigrant Entrepreneurs Ignite US Innovation Amid Tightening Visa Policies

The One Way Summit in San Francisco will highlight immigrant entrepreneurs' impact on US innovation, occurring amid sharp declines in H-1B visa registrations and stricter immigration policies. The event assembles over 1,000 industry leaders to discuss immigrants' crucial role in driving business growth and innovation.

A pivotal summit, underscoring the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to the American innovation landscape, is set to take place in San Francisco this October. As the nation's H-1B visa registrations face a significant downturn amidst tightening immigration regulations, the timing of the One Way Summit, occurring from October 28th to 29th, is particularly poignant. Expected to attract over a thousand founders, investors, and technology leaders, the gathering aims to explore the vital role immigrant entrepreneurs play in advancing innovation and stimulating economic growth.

The Brookings Institution reports that 2025 marked an unprecedented net negative migration in the US, the first in half a century. Supporting this, data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates a steep 38.5% drop in H-1B visa eligibility for the 2026-2027 period compared to the previous year. The summit thus serves as a crucial platform to spotlight immigrant contributions within the shifting landscape of US immigration.

Findings from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) reveal that immigrants have founded or co-founded 59% of US unicorns, collectively generating about USD 5 trillion and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. India-born entrepreneurs lead this group with 96 unicorns, followed by those from Israel with 60 and the UK with 47. Esteemed speakers, including Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures and Severin Hacker of Duolingo, will contribute to discussions at a time when the US is enforcing stringent immigration and visa protocols. The Department of Homeland Security recently proposed alterations to the 'Duration of Status' framework for international students, aiming to implement fixed admission periods for F-1 and J-1 visas.