The wall-building US is blocking global think tanks outside the borders

William Kerr, a professor at Harvard Business School, warned that US public opinion and policies have kept the innovators out, and the number of applicants for professional technology visas has fallen by a fifth during Trump's administration.

Speaking of a group of horrifying politicians, US President Trump, Turkish Prime Minister Regal Tayyy Erdogan, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, French "National Front" leader Marina Le Pen and Brazil’s President-elect Jay Bosonaro are on the list. In the past 10 years, these people have gained political status by inciting anti-immigrant sentiments.

But Trump’s words are even more naked, and he accuses illegal immigrants of “nuisance” our country. But he forgot one thing: the success of immigration is also good for the United States. When Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Americans should also thank the global think tank for its contribution to the US economy.

Since 1990 , immigrants accounted for one-third of the Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, physics, medicine, and economics in the United States. Immigrants account for more than a quarter of the approximately 110,000 patent applications filed in the United States each year. There are more than 1 million foreign students in American universities, which account for about 5% of the total number of students. It is estimated that the annual contribution to the US economy is $39 billion.

Part of the reason why the United States is at the forefront of global technology is that talented immigrants can shine on this land. This in my new book, "Global talent gift" ( at The Gift of Talent, Ltd. Free Join ) also reflected. The international nature of American academia promotes international cooperative communication, and this makes it even stronger. The scientists and engineers who fled Nazi Germany and came to the United States (including Einstein and computer scientist John von Neumann) are the most powerful proof.

Researchers and entrepreneurs came to the United States because the United States gave them access to global technology frontiers, from biotechnology to artificial intelligence. The United States has a large and complete market, especially new immigrants. For example, Google's co-founder Sergey Brin was born in Russia, and Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was born in Iran, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Rafael) ·Leif) Rafael Reif was born in Venezuela. The booming US economy is due to the new ideas brought about by these immigrants.

But I am worried that the United States is losing the status of tomorrow's technology leader. Starting in 2016, the number of applications for H-1B visas ( visa for foreign professional technicians working in the US) has dropped by 19%. The number of foreign graduate students applying to US business schools fell by 11%, while the number of domestic applicants fell by only 2%. The number of foreign students studying in other countries, such as Australia and Canada, continues to grow, while the number of foreign students studying in the United States has not changed. Surveys of university and university applicants show that they are very worried about the immigration openness of the United States and the changes in US visa policies in the future.

Trump accused the president of the past of opening the door to the United States too much, but in fact the process of immigration is rather cumbersome. It takes years from student visas to H-1B visas to naturalization, even for those in highly skilled industries. Since the last few years, these talents have begun to feel that pay and income are equal.

Now, uncertainty has begun to kill the gains and tilt the balance. People are most willing to invest when they have a good idea. Excessive uncertainty makes people afraid to buy a home, dare not invest in big projects, and dare not go to work or study in other countries.

An experiment unintentionally confirmed that the negative effects of uncertainty have emerged. In 2004, the annual number of H-1B visas was reduced from 195,000 to 65,000 (the current ceiling is 85,000) , making it difficult for foreign graduates to find jobs in the United States. But the law is open to national networks in five countries: Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Singapore. However, from 2000-01 to 2006–07, the number of undergraduate enrollments from these countries has not changed, while the number of people from other affected countries has decreased by 14%.

Who is the most likely to choose another high branch? It is the best students. Standardized test scores for students from affected countries fell by 20 points (1.5%) . The original intention of controlling the maximum number of H-1B visas was not to prevent outstanding students from paying tuition fees to American universities, but the result is now.

Most recent policy changes in the United States make it difficult for foreigners to do business in the United States, have a working spouse or solve visa problems. These will affect the judgment of immigrants on the development prospects in the United States.

In my opinion, what is most shocking to the global talents is the hostile political language of the United States . Before the mid-term elections in early November, Trump deployed troops on the Mexican border in an attempt to block immigrants from Central America. He also stated that he would abolish the constitutional provisions on the birthplace of American citizens.

The outdated H-1B visa system has issued fewer visas and is also awkward. H-1B is issued by lottery rather than on demand. In April 2018 the visa window open a few days later, the government received 19 000 applications, while the total quota of only 85,000 . This figure is not enough for foreign job applicants, as well as tens of thousands of foreign students and postdocs.

According to a 2017 survey (go.nature.com/2zyaeer) , Americans, including 55% of Trump supporters, generally support further liberalization of skilled immigrants. Rational people may have differences on the optimal types and numbers of immigrants, but when a country needs to start a discussion, the political dialogue is stinging. Regardless of which party you support, consider this question: How many foreign talents do you think the US is very important now? How many people are unlikely to do research, discovery and invention in the United States?

This is not just the passage of an opportunity, but the beginning of a disaster.