The Michigan Office for New Americans (ONA) was established by Governor Rick Snyder in January 2014. Its mission is to help grow Michigan’s economy by attracting and retaining global talent, and to promote the skills, energy and entrepreneurial spirit of our immigrant communities; and to make Michigan a more welcoming state. The Michigan ONA supports the Governor’s immigration initiatives for the State of Michigan; coordinates with state agencies providing programs related to services for immigrants; analyzes and makes recommendations to the Governor on state and federal policies and programs relating to immigration; and leads the Global Michigan initiative.
Some highlights of the ONA include calling for the federal government to allocate 50,000 employment-based visas for skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs during the next five years to assist in the revitalization of Detroit; spearheading the Global Michigan initiative which is a collaborative, statewide effort to retain and attract international, advanced degree and entrepreneurial talent to the state through the development of sustainable partnerships with existing community foundation, non-profit and private sector service providers already serving immigrant communities statewide; creating a welcoming culture for the State of Michigan by working with a variety of stakeholders, including state agencies who provide services to immigrants, to minimize and/or eliminate barriers or perceived barriers, and/or to streamline government processes (when possible); encouraging foreign investment in the State of Michigan; and, helping foreign educated and/or trained immigrants and refugees with licensing and credentialing by partnering with the MI Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs and Upwardly Global to create a series of skilled immigrant licensing guides.