As President Trump continues to weigh possible reforms to the H-1B visa system, we urge him to consider the vital role that high-skilled immigrants play in the U.S. economy.
A 2016 ITIF study found that:
- Nearly half (46 percent) of the U.S. innovators responsible for America’s most consequential innovations are immigrants or the children of immigrants.
- More than one-third (35.5 percent) of these U.S. innovators were born outside the United States, even though this population makes up just 13.5 percent of all U.S. residents.
- Another 10 percent of innovators were born in the United States but have at least one parent born abroad.
- More than 17 percent of these innovators are not U.S. citizens, yet they are making invaluable contributions to U.S. innovation.
For more on this issue, see: “The Demographics of Innovation in the United States.”
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) is an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.
Recognized as one of the world’s leading science and technology think tanks, ITIF’s mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.