Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
The NJ Global Entrepreneur in Residence (NJ Global EIR) program is an economic development initiative that helps attract and retain startup companies to New Jersey, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Global EIR helps to fill the visa gap for international entrepreneurs by providing the opportunity to obtain H-1B visa status by working for or at a university. The Global EIR program provides a valuable pathway for entrepreneurs to expand their AI ventures and work alongside university stakeholders and business partners to scale their startups, as well as to connect with students in innovative ways.
The NJ Global EIR program supports New Jersey’s AI Moonshot, an initiative designed to position the state as a cutting-edge leader in AI through investments in development and research. The NJ Global EIR program seeks to capitalize on the trends of AI growth and grow the state’s economy through these partnerships. An analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy that “Immigrants have founded or cofounded nearly two-thirds of the top AI companies in the United States, and 70% of full-time graduate students in fields related to artificial intelligence are international students.”
NJ’s Global EIR Program began in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) with New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and William Paterson University (WPU) selected as pilot sites. The NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) administers the grant funding to participating institutions. For general inquiries related to the NJ Global EIR, please contact Dr. Stefani Thachik, Senior Advisor, at Stefani.Thachik@oshe.nj.gov.
NJIT’s Global EIR program offers international Master's/PhD holders, who currently have an AI venture underway, the opportunity to grow their AI venture while qualifying for a cap-exempt H-1B visa through their paid positions to mentor undergraduates at the Center for Student Entrepreneurship. Global EIRs will have access to NJIT’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to scale their AI ventures while instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in students who learn alongside them.
NJIT is a STEM-based R1 university and has been ranked among the Top 50 schools for entrepreneurship by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine for six consecutive years and continues to expand its resources to remain a hub of innovation across the state of New Jersey.
William Paterson’s Global EIR program offers currently enrolled or recently graduated international students the opportunity to launch or scale up their AI or tech venture with access while qualifying for a cap-exempt H-1B visa. Participants in the Global EIR program have access to William Paterson’s office space at their Cotsakos College of Business and receive mentorship from WPU faculty and industry leaders.
Participants are required to work part-time at WPU on business mentoring, technical assistance, and academic research initiatives. Additionally, Global EIRs participate in both a 16-week virtual accelerator program and Demo Day, where entrepreneurs showcase their startups to investors and venture capitalists.
WPU’s Small Business Development Center provides the space for the Global EIRs to thrive and leverage valuable connections and opportunities for their AI venture.