The Global Race for Talent: Hiba Anver on Immigration as Economic Policy

In this forward-looking episode of The Litigator's Edge, host Aniket Sawant sits down with Hiba Anver, a leading corporate immigration attorney and strategic advisor to some of the nation's most innovative companies. Hiba shares her inspiring journey from modest beginnings as the granddaughter of refugees to becoming a prominent voice briefing Congressional staffers and shaping the national conversation on talent mobility.


Hiba challenges the traditional view of immigration, reframing it not as a cost, but as a critical long-term investment where high-skilled workers "invest" their talent in the U.S. economy. She discusses the high stakes of the "global race for talent," warning that without modern policies, the next Google or Tesla will be built elsewhere. She also shares how navigating sudden, volatile shifts in executive policy transformed her practice from transactional work to high-level corporate advisory, and offers a nuanced perspective on why AI — while powerful — can never fully replace the human empathy needed when uprooting a life.


From providing expert commentary on major financial news networks to co-founding the pioneering "Immigration Nerds" podcast, this conversation offers a compelling look at the intersection of economic policy, business strategy, and the generational dreams that drive human migration.