From Borders to Breakthroughs: How Immigration Laws Shape Technological Progress

This dissertation investigates how exogenous shifts in U.S. immigration policy impact strategic human capital management and innovation outcomes of multinational enterprises (MNEs). Through two quasi-experimental studies focusing on the H-1B visa program, it finds evidence that restrictive policies, such as visa cap reductions, compel MNEs to disperse their R&D activities globally, which increases coordination costs and negatively affects innovation. Conversely, liberalizing policies that enhance visa portability increase the interfirm mobility and internal bargaining power of high-skilled immigrant inventors. The dissertation concludes by proposing a three-dimensional policy framework that moves beyond simple human capital metrics to include social capital and geopolitical considerations, advocating for a more strategic approach to high-skilled immigration.