In Michigan, 44 percent of those completing master’s degrees in engineering are international students, while 62 percent of those awarded engineering doctorates are foreigners, Snyder spokesman Ken Silfven said. But once these highly skilled international students graduate, many of them return to their home countries, he said.

“Chances are they had a lovely experience going to school here in Michigan,” Silfven said. “We want to do a better job of letting them know we would love to embrace them as they go on in their careers. This is the place they should set up jobs.”

In his speech, Snyder highlighted the success of Michigan businesses Dow Chemical Co., Masco Corp. and Meijer Inc., which all were founded by immigrants, in creating jobs in the state.

Throughout history, many immigrants have tried to start small businesses in the U.S., some of which were very successful, economics professor Paul Menchik said.

“Often, stores that don’t take a lot of money (to start) can be a shot in the arm for the economy,” he said.

There are many small programs supported by Snyder that encourage foreign investment in the state, business professor Roger Calantone said. The Global Michigan Initiative is one such program that is working to set up foreign students with jobs in the state upon their graduation, connect foreign investors with Michigan exporters and promote the development of small businesses in Michigan by enhancing the availability of start-up capital, Silfven said.

After hearing about native workers losing jobs in Michigan, graduate student Xin Wang, who is from China, said she doesn’t think there are employment opportunities available for international students. In his home country of Saudi Arabia, English as a second language student Mansour Alsubaie said there are many jobs available, so there is no reason for him or other foreign students to stay in Michigan where job opportunities are limited.

Wang said although she thinks the U.S. is a wonderful country, she doesn’t think she would be able to live and work in the country upon graduating from MSU.

“It’s so difficult to say (if I could stay in the U.S. after graduation),” she said.

“I would love to be with my friends and my family — all of them are in China. I really miss them.”

Though many students, such as Wang and Alsubaie, eventually plan to leave the country, Michigan should encourage even the few foreigners who are willing to live and work in the state because their investments could benefit business, Calantone said.

“We should be welcoming people who want to invest in our state,” he said.

Although immigrants might start businesses and create jobs in the state, some citizens worry they also could take jobs from Michigan natives seeking employment.

But Menchik said immigrants often take jobs most Americans find distasteful. They are jobs Michigan residents are unwilling to do, Silfven said.

“We have a lot of fine, hardworking immigrants who come here and are critical in the food industry and the agricultural industry,” Silfven said. “Their contributions are every bit as important to our future as someone who starts a company.”

Michigan should work to place both foreign and native graduates of Michigan universities in jobs in state, Calantone said.

“If we don’t have jobs for them here, they go somewhere else — that’s even true of people who grow up here,” he said. “It would be nice if we could produce jobs for them here and keep them here — keep the brain drain from going on — because we’re losing a lot of valuable minds to other places.”