As H-1B registrations decline, summit to spotlight immigrant founders' role in US innovation
San Francisco, July 2
A summit highlighting the contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs to the US innovation ecosystem will be held in San Francisco in October, at a time when H-1B visa registrations have declined sharply and immigration restrictions are tightening in the United States.
The One Way Summit, scheduled for October 28-29, is expected to bring together more than 1,000 founders, investors and technology leaders to discuss the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in driving innovation and business growth.
The Brookings Institution estimates that 2025 recorded the first instance of net negative migration in the US in 50 years. It also cited recent data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which showed a 38.5 per cent decline in eligible H-1B visa registrations for the 2026-2027 window compared with a year earlier.
The summit is being positioned as a platform to highlight the contribution of immigrants to the US startup ecosystem amid the changing immigration landscape.
A recent report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) found that 59 per cent of US unicorns were founded or co-founded by immigrants, generating about USD 5 trillion in value and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The report also noted that India-born entrepreneurs account for the largest share of immigrant-founded US unicorns, having founded or co-founded 96 unicorn companies. They were followed by entrepreneurs born in Israel, with 60 unicorns, and the United Kingdom, with 47.
Among the speakers confirmed for the event are Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures; Severin Hacker, co-founder and CTO of Duolingo; Cal Henderson, co-founder and former CTO of Slack; Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Impact at OpenAI; Immad Akhund, Founder and CEO of Mercury; Nicolas Dessaigne, General Partner at Y Combinator; Juan Pablo Ortega, co-founder of Rappi and Yuno; Manan Mehta, Founding Partner at Unshackled Ventures; and Gagan Biyani, co-founder of Udemy and Maven.
The United States has recently heavily tightened its immigration and visa policies, resulting in mass deportations, stricter visa checks, and mass cancellations of student visas. The administration is replacing the previous "Duration of Status" system with fixed admission periods for F-1 and J-1 visitors.
On May 5, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed eliminating the "Duration of Status" (D/S) framework for F-1 student visas. Under the current system, international students are generally allowed to remain in the US as long as they maintain their student status and comply with visa requirements.
The proposed rule would replace that system with a fixed admission period of up to four years for most students. Any extension beyond that period, including cases involving continued studies or post-graduation work authorisation, would require formal approval from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting timing for this summit. The US is literally saying "we need immigrant talent" on one hand and making visa renewals impossible on the other. My cousin had to leave his startup mid-way because his H-1B extension got denied. 59% of unicorns founded by immigrants shows how much America relies on us, yet they keep making it harder. Honestly, India should be hosting our own summit to highlight this brain drain and invest in our innovation ecosystem.
As an American, I welcome this summit. We need to have honest conversations about immigration reform that actually work for everyone. It's not about shutting doors - it's about creating a system that's fair and efficient. The 96 Indian-founded unicorns is staggering and shows how vital Indian talent is to American innovation. We can't afford to lose that edge.
This is a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face. The US is making life difficult for exactly the people who create jobs and value. I've seen many Indian founders moving back to India or going to Canada/Singapore. The irony is that while the US tightens, other countries are welcoming these entrepreneurs with open arms. And India is finally building infrastructure to support them here too. The summit is good but the US needs to wake up.
I'm all for innovation but we need to be realistic too. Immigration policy should balance national interests with the clear economic benefits these entrepreneurs bring. The data on unicorns is impressive - $5 trillion in value created! But maybe the answer isn't just about fixing the US system, but also about India creating better opportunities so our best minds don't feel they have to leave in the first place. Just thinking out loud 💭
A We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.