Venture capitalists are adding more fuel to the fire about high-tech immigration about H-1B visas.

As the high-tech visa and immigration debate continues to rage in Washington, a forthcoming study from the National Venture Capital Association says foreign-born entrepreneurs are driving more new businesses despite immigration hurdles.

However, with high-tech firms such as IBM, NetApp and HP laying off workers, the debate about allowing more immigrants isn’t likely to end any time soon.

The NVCA isn’t going to release full details of the study until next month, but on Thursday the group released some of the key fidnings as Congress continues to battle over the immigration issue.

The study, called ”American Made 2.0: How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Continue to Contribute to the U.S. Economy,” reflects data from similar work done by former Triangle entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa at Duke University: These talented, foreign-born people provide a big lift to the American startup sector. The NVCA report is an update of a study done in 2006.

“Not surprised by the findings and completely agree with the conclusions,” Wadhwa tells WRALTechWire. “This is a good report.”

NVCA set surveys to members seeking immigration debate information from companies they have funded, and the responses contained in more than 600 replies are interesting:

  • 33 percent of entrepreneurs they backed are foreign-born (India, U.K., Canada, France, Israel, Germany provided the most)
  • 61 percent of immigrant-founded companies have one or more patents
  • 79 percent of company founders want immigration changes. 
  • 74 prcent agree “current U.S. immigration laws for skilled professionals harm American competitiveness.”
  • 90 percent of company founders say changes would boost the U.S. economy

Three key findings as cited by the NVCA:

  • “An increasing number of public companies have immigrant founders. Of the U.S. venture-backed companies that became publicly traded between 2006 and 2012, 33 percent have at least one immigrant founder. These companies include well-known names such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Zipcar and Tesla Motors. This compares to 20 percent of venture-funded companies with an initial public offering prior to January 1, 2006. Before 1980, only seven percent of U.S. publicly traded venture-funded companies had an immigrant founder or co-founder.
  • “The value created to date by immigrant-founded venture-backed companies is extraordinary. Venture-backed, publicly traded immigrant-founded companies have a total market capitalization of $900 billion (as of June 2013), an increase of approximately $400 billion since 2006 when the market value of these companies was in the $500 billion range.
  • “Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs. Immigrant-founded venture-backed, public companies employ approximately 600,000 people worldwide, the majority in the United States. Among the largest employers are Intel, Google, Sanmina, eBay, PAREXEL, and Yahoo!. Immigrant-founded companies that went public since 2006 employ 65,450 people, with annual sales of over $17 billion.”

But as Wadhwa wrote in a recent Washington Post column, data may not put out the political firestorm.

“With extremists on both ends of the political spectrum chipping away at public support for reform, there is no certainty that any legislation will finally pass. It could take many months even to get to the point that the final votes are cast. In the meantime, the U.S. continues to experience an immigrant exodus—as skilled workers get frustrated with the visa system and leave. This is why I have argued that we need to pass legislation that both sides agree on—such as a Startup Visa similar to what Canada just announced. And we need a Plan B in case there is a stalemate on reform.”

According to the NVCA, immigrants would provide even larger contributions “if Congress adopted the right policies on startups and high skill immigration.”

Noted NCVA President Mark Heesen: “As Congress debates comprehensive immigration reform, understanding the contributions of high-skilled, foreign born entrepreneurs to our country is imperative to ensuring meaningful changes to our system.

“These individuals have founded many of America’s most successful companies, keeping jobs, market value and innovation here in the United States. Our policies must not only accept but welcome the next generation of immigrant entrepreneurs who are making even greater strides in starting and growing amazing companies.”

Long term, the American tech sector and economy could very well benefit from legislative changes, but in the short term a debate will rage as American workers continue to lose jobs.

That’s reality. And there are no easy answers.