archive.immigrationvoice.org - Important Facts about Skilled Immigration

Important Facts about Skilled Immigration

Skilled workers are a small minority of U.S. legal immigrants. Of the 1,062,040 legal immigrants in 2011, only 12% were skilled employment-based immigrants. About 40% of these skilled immigrants had advanced degrees, or 5 or more years of experience after a baccalaureate degree. It is also worthwhile to note that the three other main immigrant-receiving countries - Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom - select between 62 and 72% of their immigrants based on education and skills.

The highly skilled immigrants are future Americans and they are directly related to American Competitiveness. The impact of these workers’ contributions to American competitiveness belies their small number. They add to the process of scientific discovery, technology development, and innovation, which in turn leads to greater productivity growth. Greater productivity growth improves the standard of living for the U.S. population as a whole. Skilled immigrants not only contribute to the innovation process themselves, they also help train our own future innovators, thus ensuring the competitiveness of future generations.

Please see chapter 2 of the February 2006 Economic Report of the President to learn more about the role of skilled immigrants in the U.S. economy.