Immigration policy has been a hot topic in the current U.S. presidential election cycle, as well as in the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, and beyond. Regardless of political leanings, it’s evident that both Republican and Democratic immigration policies are misaligned with the nation’s true needs, calling for urgent reform. The current conversation all feels negative and should be flipped to a positive unified vision that benefits everyone. Presently, policies miss the mark by prioritizing asylum seekers over the skilled talent that could drive long-term economic growth. Every country should be competing for the brightest minds and high-growth companies that create jobs and stimulate local economies. I propose a bold, forward-thinking strategy that positions the U.S. as the unmatched global leader, boasting the highest GDP per capita, the largest population, the capability to eliminate the national debt, and the means to easily fund universal healthcare for all Americans. This system would be built on an orderly, merit-based application process, ensuring that immigrants are admitted onto U.S. territory only after their applications are thoroughly vetted and approved. Picture a nation operating like a startup, fueled by Silicon Valley-level innovation and ambition. This policy should unify both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. and other countries should copy us with their limited land and ability to attract the best immigrants compared to America.
Currently, we accept and process illegal immigrants without considering their individual merits, providing them with benefits not extended to our own citizens, while rejecting high-quality immigrants who could contribute significantly to America’s prosperity and future. We should reverse this by putting a full stop to the asylum program, invite the best immigrants to come to the United States and make a US citizenship more valuable than being a citizen of Rome in ancient times.
New Manifest Destiny
I propose we increase the U.S. population from 334 million to 2 billion over the coming years by admitting high-net-worth individuals, promising funded startups with their entire teams, and a diverse array of high-value people who can contribute financially and culturally. Let’s open the gates of merit-based immigration as never before. This would not only increase tax revenue but create the densest concentration of talent, making every city and patch of the country a boomtown. Imagine what we could do with a 6x increase of the tax base and a 3x increase of GDP per capita. Let’s point a magnet to the global population of Earth and attract the best, not the least skilled and financially distressed in need of cash on day one. This is a 180-degree reversal of our flawed current immigration policy.
We have an enormous piece of unoccupied real estate and an amazing USA brand. Let’s begin to populate it with the best of the best and invite the world to come. Our founding fathers would have loved this plan. I see ten different cities with maglev trains within one hour of Los Angeles. Let’s build these clean oasis desert cities together.
Pilot Program
Start with a pilot program inviting high-net-worth individuals from Canada, the UK, the European Union, and Australia to test the feasibility of this new approach. Applicants would pay a fee that covers administrative costs and generates profit, targeting those with a net worth exceeding $50 million. These individuals would contribute a 2% annual lifetime tax on their net worth, providing immediate economic benefits. Once the program demonstrates success and the American public sees the tangible benefits, it can be expanded to include other easily assimilated and more challenging cultures. This would help create a new national identity, grounded in the idea of a modern melting pot, drawing talented and valuable individuals from every corner of the globe and redefining America’s future.
Point System
A few months after inviting the ultra-wealthy to come to the US and pay tax here, introduce a point system like the UK and Australia, evaluating immigrants based on factors like skills, education, age, health, and net worth. Sign agreements for a minimum annual tax payment or they lose their invitation to live and work here and are deported. No Jeff Bezos not paying taxes allowed! We investigate and sign a contract with each immigrant that comes here with a high density of audits for high value immigrants. Those who fail to meet their tax payment obligations risk deportation, ensuring only those willing to contribute are granted long-term residency and a path to citizenship.
Integration and Contribution
Implement policies where new immigrants cannot vote for the first 10 years, allowing time for assimilation. Profitably establish integration schools to teach English language, civil liberties, democracy, diverse-American values, equal rights for everyone, tolerance, and essential skills, with potential deportation for those who fail to comply, learn English, or assimilate to our cultural values. Let’s invest in every American already here and invest in every future American.
Economic Benefits
These measures would create a surplus of tax revenue being higher than government spending to pay off the massive national debt which is destroying our country and invest the surplus in healthcare, education, infrastructure and our own citizens. Imagine funding projects like maglev trains, nuclear power plants, and new cities, transforming the U.S. into the fastest growing and continuously largest economy, with the largest population, with a truly diverse population. Real estate funds might even begin to come close to the returns of our tech VC funds (ha ha)! If the USA has the largest population and we increase our GDP per capita with our new system and endless land to build real estate, no country can come close to us. Nuclear and renewable energy generation combined with new agriculture technology and smart desalination clean water are all economically possible to support a population of 2 billion Americans.
Global Talent Recruitment
Use AI to identify top graduates from leading global institutions and personally invite them to apply to become Americans or come here. Invite startups that raise significant funding globally to move their operations to the U.S., creating a thriving ecosystem of innovation and growth. As a venture capitalist here, I am the first to argue no county comes close to what we offer startups in the way of value add and cash. Let’s actively invite and recruit the best to come here rather than process the applications of the worst. If your startup just got VC funding in Singapore, Brazil, Japan, or Sweden – you can expect a warm invitation to move to the United States within days of the announcement and our verification of your funding, move that funding to a U.S. bank account, and vetting of your project, you and your team. I would buy stock in U.S. banks the day this policy gets executed.
Free Movement of Talent
The UK when a member of the European Union used to benefit from Polish builders flowing into the UK for jobs and flowing out when the exchange rate was no longer beneficial to the Polish worker, or the work was no longer there. This was perfectly efficient. Let’s allow the highest talent of the world to come to the US, work and pay tax here. If they decide to leave at any time, let them go. If they come back let’s welcome and tax them again. Let’s bank the multiplier effect of their income spent in our country and see what innovation they can bring us. UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU should be instantly accepted to come to the US, work and be taxed. Then we open it up to everyone.
Today Silicon Valley employs the best, but we pay them to work and live in India, South East Asia, Europe, and Latin America. We are already paying them. Not letting them into the U.S. just hurts the U.S. and benefits these other countries. Many of our portfolio companies employ most of their engineers outside of the U.S. today and we are funding new ones at a steady pace: (https://www.7bc.vc/companies).
Let’s open our doors to the fastest growing companies, the best technologies, the most talented people in the world and 6x our value to attract them. While we do this, let’s give American citizens a value no other country offers them. Let’s make them citizens of Rome, but in today’s modern time. Being an American should be better than any other nationality. Let’s deliver on this value. This is our opportunity for the taking. We can flip the switch and make this happen. Countries will compete for the best talent, startups, large corporations, and richest families as they should. The USA is currently losing this competition. Let’s start winning now.
Free Healthcare and Education for American Citizens
This immigration program would eventually enable us to offer free healthcare and education to every American while generating a surplus. A great country invests in and protects its own. Let’s get financially healthy so we can do this for our own citizens and assign more value to being an American citizen. We should punish our politicians for running permanent budget deficits. Four years of budget deficit should result in a prison sentence for the President, and anyone else involved. How do you say? “You’re fired!” And I mean all of you. After the annual tax revenue of our country doubles imagine answering the question, “Are you better off now than four years ago?”
Total Mindset Shift - Goal of 2 billion Americans
It is clear to me that the American population and our elected leaders do not see the USA as a high growth county. They view our county as a country with our existing population failing to compete with other countries and a broken border. This is not acceptable. We must change our mindset to a new view. The starting gun is going off now and we need to begin our immigration wave now. With this new policy implemented the United States would cement a permanent position as the richest, fastest growing and most amazing country on Earth for millennia to come.
Let’s grow the U.S. population from today’s 334 million to 2 billion and attract and support the world’s greatest talent. Imagine the wonderful architecture of cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi under Montana’s mountains, Kentucky’s hills and the Mojave Desert. Let’s make America profitable again, surpassing all competitors. Let’s redefine the American Dream.
Think like a venture capitalist
Let’s grow the US population to 2 billion. With 100% nuclear and renewable energy, higher yield agricultural technology advances and economic smart reverse osmosis desalination for clean water, we can happily sustain population growth in the rich and safe USA while improving climate change with cleaner air, soil and water with a much stronger and sizably larger tax base. Such a strong country can afford to invest and protect its own population investing in the future. I personally see no problem increasing our population to 2 billion in the United States alone. When the U.S. has a high GDP per capita over 2 billion people we will be the richest and largest high velocity country in the world with no number two competing country even half our size in sight, we will be well positioned to provide technological and cash aid to other countries rather than funding death, destruction and wars.
Let’s go!
Andrew Romans General Partner 7BC Venture Capital
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