Many tech companies and scholars have raised their voices against President Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order on immigration. The hundreds of researchers and high-skilled workers who could be affected by the travel ban are part of the larger U.S. innovation economy, a community that relies heavily on foreign talent and whose members now worry that legal immigration could be the next target.
We asked three experts on innovation, competitiveness and the workforce on how broad immigration reform could affect the country.
ANTHONY P. CARNEVALE
Director of the
Georgetown University
Center on Education
and the Workforce
“The language of innovation is technology and math. In the end the competition for technical talent is heating up, and if we shut down our borders and don’t cater to talent we are going to lose, the talent is going to go somewhere else.“
FIONA E. MURRAY
Associate dean for
innovation, professor
of entrepreneurship
and co-director of the
MIT Innovation Initiative
“We risk limiting the pool of highly talented individuals willing and interested in coming to the United States for higher education and building the extraordinary talent base that characterizes the American innovation economy.“
MANJARI RAMAN
Program director and
senior researcher at
the U.S. Competitiveness
Project at Harvard
Business School
“You want these PhDs to stay, to innovate more, to create more patents. It sets off a virtuous cycle of more jobs, more new companies, more growth and, let’s not forget, better products and services for customers.”
ANTHONY P. CARNEVALE
FIONA E. MURRAY
MANJARI RAMAN
Associate dean for
innovation, professor
of entrepreneurship
and co-director of the MIT
Innovation Initiative
Program director and
senior researcher at
the U.S. Competitiveness
Project at Harvard
Business School
Director of the Georgetown
University Center on
Education and the
Workforce
“The language of innovation is technology and math. In the end the competition for technical talent is heating up, and if we shut down our borders and don’t cater to talent we are going to lose, the talent is going to go somewhere else.“
“We risk limiting the pool of highly talented individuals willing and interested in coming to the United States for higher education and building the extraordinary talent base that characterizes the American innovation economy.“
“You want these PhDs to stay, to innovate more, to create more patents. It sets off a virtuous cycle of more jobs, more new companies, more growth and, let’s not forget, better products and services for customers.”
ANTHONY P. CARNEVALE
FIONA E. MURRAY
MANJARI RAMAN
Director of the Georgetown
University Center on Education
and the Workforce
Associate dean for innovation,
professor of entrepreneurship and
co-director of the MIT Innovation
Initiative
Program director and senior
researcher at the U.S.
Competitiveness Project
at Harvard Business School
“We risk limiting the pool of highly talented individuals willing and interested in coming to the United States for higher education and building the extraordinary talent base that characterizes the American innovation economy.“
“The language of innovation is technology and math. In the end the competition for technical talent is heating up, and if we shut down our borders and don’t cater to talent we are going to lose, the talent is going to go somewhere else.“
“You want these PhDs to stay, to innovate more, to create more patents. It sets off a virtuous cycle of more jobs, more new companies, more growth and, let’s not forget, better products and services for customers.”
Nearly 100 Silicon Valley companies – including tech giants like Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter – filed an amicus brief opposing Trump’s immigration order nearly a week after it was implemented. The brief stated that the order disrupts business operations, threatens investment and “makes it more difficult and expensive for U.S. companies to recruit, hire, and retain some of the world’s best employees.”
MIT, Harvard and six other universities in Massachusetts filed a request to the federal court of Boston against Trump’s executive order.
The state of Washington, backed by other states such as Minnesota, claimed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that the order harms their businesses and universities. The court eventually agreed with the states and temporarily blocked the travel ban.
Although the visas issued to countries included in the executive order represent less than 1 percent of total visas, the impact on the U.S. talent force could be significant. Iran, which is included in the restricted list, ranked 10th in the number of U.S. doctorates awarded to noncitizens in 2015. At MIT alone, more than 100 students and scholars were affected by the travel ban.
“You can’t build a border against ideas,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “You are always moving along a cutting edge on innovation. The way to win on that is to be very open and competitive with respect to the talent. The fact that [the Trump administration] did this to seven countries raises a fear that it can extend to more countries.”
A rising concern
Many in the tech community worry the order could be the first step toward a deeper review of the entire legal immigration system. The reform of visa programs to hire high-skilled workers seems to be gaining momentum after several bills were presented in the past few weeks:
JAN.
Protect and Grow
American Jobs Act
On Jan. 3, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced his plan “to make sure programs are not abused to allow companies to outsource and hire cheap foreign labor from abroad to replace American workers.”
10th
H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced on Jan. 19 their intention to reintroduce a 2007 bipartisan bill proposing reforms to these high skill programs.
20th
High-Skilled Integrity
and Fairness Act
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) presented a plan “to curb H-1B visa outsourcing abuse.”
FEB.
RAISE Act
On Feb. 7, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, proposing to “raise American workers’ wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms.”
10th
20th
Protect and Grow
American Jobs Act
H-1B and L-1
Visa Reform Act
High-Skilled
Integrity and
Fairness Act
Reforming American
Immigration for Strong
Employment Act
On Jan. 3, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced his plan “to make sure programs are not abused to allow companies to outsource and hire cheap foreign labor from abroad to replace American workers.”
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced on Jan. 19 their intention to reintroduce a 2007 bipartisan bill proposing reforms to these high skill programs.
Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) presented a plan “to curb H-1B visa outsourcing abuse.”
Her Act gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most.
On Feb. 7, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, proposing to “raise American workers’ wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms.”
10th
20th
10th
20th
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
President Trump’s Jan. 27
executive order
Protect and Grow
American Jobs Act
H-1B and L-1 Visa
Reform Act
High-Skilled Integrity
and Fairness Act
Reforming American Immigration
for Strong Employment Act
On Jan. 3, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced his plan “to make sure programs are not abused to allow companies to outsource and hire cheap foreign labor from abroad to replace American workers.”
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced on Jan. 19 their intention to reintroduce a 2007 bipartisan bill proposing reforms to these high skill programs.
Jan. 24, representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) presented a plan “to curb H-1B visa outsourcing abuse.”
Her Act gives priority to those companies willing to pay the most.
On Feb. 7, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, proposing to “raise American workers’ wages by restoring legal immigration levels to their historical norms.”
10th
20th
10th
20th
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
President Trump’s Jan. 27
executive order
The last of these proposals does not focus on temporary work visas but on permanent residents, individuals who hold green cards. The bill aims to reduce the number of new visa issuances by 41 percent in the first year, and limit them by half in ten years. In a Fox News interview Cotton said: “Most of the people coming to our country are coming because they are distant relatives, under the outdated diversity lottery or as refugees. Obviously they don’t have the kind of high skills our economy needs.”
Although both targets are two separate buckets, temporary visa holders and permanent green card holders are part of the same complex immigration system. High-skilled workers typically obtain green cards after they have held student and work visas. Here is a look at all the visas and green cards issued in 2015 and the potential scale of these proposals:
Barely 14 percent of all permanent-residents issuances, also known as green cards, were employment-based, and 33 percent were to spouses or children of U.S. citizens. It is in the rest, around 50 percent, where the RAISE Act sees the potential damage for U.S wages. These green-card holders are allowed to work and, according to Cotton, could compete for U.S. citizens’ jobs.
The plan aims to eliminate certain categories of extended and adult family members, limit refugees to 50,000 and eliminate a diversity visa program that Republicans said is abused.
GREEN CARDS
1,051,031
Immigrant*
VISAS
531,463
11,423,208
Non-immigrant
10,891,745
Immigration critics say visa workers could reduce American workers’ wages.
Issa’s plan would raise the salary requirement for the H-1B positions to $100,000/year (up from $60,000/year currently).
Lofgren instead would give priority to hire with H-1B to those companies willing to pay the most.
* Immigrant visas, issued abroad,
can be adjusted to green cards once
the holder is in the U.S.
VISAS
GREEN CARDS
Issued in the United States;
Recipient becomes a permanent
resident
Non-immigrant and
immigrant visas are issued
at Foreign Service posts
Barely 14 percent of all permanent-residents issuances, also known as green cards, were employment-based, and 33 percent were to spouses or children of U.S. citizens. It is in the rest, around 50 percent, where the RAISE Act sees the potential damage for U.S wages. These green-card holders are allowed to work and, according to Cotton, could compete for U.S. citizens’ jobs.
The plan aims to eliminate certain categories of extended and adult family members, limit refugees to 50,000 and eliminate a diversity visa program that Republicans said is abused.
In 2015, 807,212 visas were issued to workers or their families (who are not allowed to work in most cases).
Immigration critics say visa workers could reduce American workers’ wages: Issa’s plan would raise the salary requirement for the H-1B (specialty occupation) to $100,000/year (up from $60,000/year currently). Lofgren instead would give priority to hire with H-1B to those companies willing to pay the most.
The Grassley/Durbin Act proposes to prohibit the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 (intra-company transfers).
Immigrant visas, issued abroad, can be adjusted to green cards once the holder is in the U.S.
Student and work visas are usually
a path to green cards for high-skilled workers.
MAIN TYPES OF WORKERS’ VISAS
E: Investor
STUDENT VISAS
H-1B: Person in specialty occupation
F: Student
H-2A: Temporary agricultural worker
H-2B: Temporary non-agricultural worker
J: Cultural exchange
L: Intracompany transferee
O: Individual with extraordinary ability
Family
categories
P: Athlete or artist
Q: International cultural exchange program
GREEN CARDS
VISAS
Immigrant and Non-immigrant
visas are issued at Foreign
Service posts
Issued in the United States;
Recipient becomes a permanent
resident
In 2015, 807,212 visas were issued to workers or their families (who are not allowed to work in most cases).
Immigration critics say visa workers could reduce American workers’ wages: Issa’s plan would raise the salary requirement for the H-1B (specialty occupation) to $100,000/year (up from $60,000/year currently). Lofgren instead would give priority to hire with H-1B to those companies willing to pay the most.
The Grassley/Durbin Act proposes to prohibit the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 (intra-company transfers).
Barely 14 percent of all permanent-residents issuances, also known as green cards, were employment-based, and 33 percent were to spouses or children of U.S. citizens. It is in the rest, around 50 percent, where the RAISE Act sees the potential damage for U.S wages. These green-card holders are allowed to work and, according to Cotton, could compete for U.S. citizens’ jobs.
The plan aims to eliminate certain categories of extended and adult family members, limit refugees to 50,000 and eliminate a diversity visa program that Republicans said is abused.
Immigrant visas, issued abroad, can be adjusted to green cards once the holder is in the U.S.
Student and work visas are usually
a path to green cards for high-skilled workers.
MAIN TYPES OF WORKERS’ VISAS
E: Investor
STUDENT VISAS
H-1B: Person in specialty occupation
H-2A: Temporary agricultural worker
F: Student
H-2B: Temporary non-agricultural worker
J: Cultural exchange
L: Intracompany transferee
O: Individual with extraordinary ability
Family
categories
P: Athlete or artist
Q: International cultural exchange program
GREEN CARDS
VISAS
Immigrant and Non-immigrant
visas are issued at foreign
service posts
Issued in the United States;
Recipient becomes a permanent
resident
In 2015, 807,212 visas were issued to workers or their families (who are not allowed to work in most cases).
Immigration critics say visa workers could reduce American workers’ wages: Issa’s plan would raise the salary requirement for the H-1B (specialty occupation) to $100,000/year (up from $60,000/year currently). Lofgren instead would give priority to hire with H-1B to those companies willing to pay the most.
The Grassley/Durbin Act proposes to prohibit the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 (intra-company transfers).
Barely 14 percent of all permanent-residents issuances, also known as green cards, were employment-based, and 33 percent were to spouses or children of U.S. citizens. It is in the rest, around 50 percent, where the RAISE Act sees the potential damage for U.S wages. These green-card holders are allowed to work and, according to Cotton, could compete for U.S. citizens’ jobs.
The plan aims to eliminate certain categories of extended and adult family members, limit refugees to 50,000 and eliminate a diversity visa program that Republicans said is abused.
Immigrant visas, issued abroad, can be adjusted to green cards once the holder is in the U.S.
GREEN CARDS
1,051,031
Student and work visas
are usually a path to green cards
for high-skilled workers.
MAIN TYPES OF WORKERS’ VISAS
E: Investor
STUDENT VISAS
H-1B: Person in specialty occupation
F: Student
H-2A: Temporary agricultural worker
H-2B: Temporary non-agricultural worker
J: Cultural exchange
L: Intracompany transferee
O: Individual with extraordinary ability
P: Athlete or artist
Family
categories
Q: International cultural exchange program
VISAS
GREEN CARDS
Non-immigrant and
immigrant visas are issued
at Foreign Service posts
Issued in the United States;
Recipient becomes
a permanent resident
In 2015, 807,212 visas were issued to workers or their families (who are not allowed to work in most cases).
Immigration critics say visa workers could reduce American workers’ wages: Issa’s plan would raise the salary requirement for the H-1B (specialty occupation) to $100,000/year (up from $60,000/year currently). Lofgren instead would give priority to hire with H-1B to those companies willing to pay the most.
The Grassley/Durbin Act proposes to prohibit the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 (intra-company transfers).
Barely 14 percent of all permanent-residents issuances, also known as green cards, were employment-based, and 33 percent were to spouses or children of U.S. citizens. It is in the rest, around 50 percent, where the RAISE Act sees the potential damage for U.S wages. These green-card holders are allowed to work and, according to Cotton, could compete for U.S. citizens’ jobs.
The plan aims to eliminate certain categories of extended and adult family members, limit refugees to 50,000 and eliminate a diversity visa program that Republicans said is abused.
Detail
Green cards
1M
Employment
144k
Immigrant visas*
531k
Non-immigrant:
Spouses and children of U.S. citizens
332k
346k
Other family
48k
Diversity program
Refugees
118k
61k
Other
* Immigrant visas, issued abroad,
can be adjusted to green cards once
the holder is in the U.S.
Where Trump stands on immigration policies
“My administration will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American,” Trump said in his inauguration speech. During the 2016 campaign, then-candidate Trump repeatedly defended the need for stricter immigration policies, including those related to highly skilled workers.
DONALD TRUMP
In a Republican debate
March 10, 2016
“I know the H-1B very well. And it’s something that I, frankly, use, and I shouldn’t be allowed to use it.”
“I know the H-1B very well. And it’s something that I, frankly, use, and I shouldn’t be allowed to use it.”
DONALD TRUMP
In a Republican debate
March 10, 2016
“I know the H-1B very well. And it’s something that I, frankly, use, and I shouldn’t be allowed to use it.”
DONALD TRUMP
In a Republican debate March 10, 2016
“Companies are importing low-wages workers on H1-B visas to take jobs from young, college-trained Americans,” Trump said during a rally in Columbus, Ohio, in October. “We will protect these jobs for all Americans.” But Trump has contradicted himself on this issue several times: “I’m changing. I’m changing. We need highly skilled people in this country, and if we can’t do it, we’ll get them in,” he said during a Republican debate in March on Fox News.
[ Donald Trump flip-flops, then flips and flops more on H-1B visas]
This back-and-forth suggests Trump and his team might still be weighing the effect a strict “America First” policy may have in the long run.
Traditionally, Republicans and Democrats have agreed on the need to continue welcoming high-skilled foreign workers. In the past two decades, all three U.S. presidents expanded visa caps for students or the highly skilled. Democrats have traditionally been more flexible when it comes to visas for workers’ families.
Family
categories
(not allowed
to work)
In 1999, Bill Clinton boosted the original H1-B cap from 65,000 to 115,000 “to address a shortage of skilled workers.” In 1998, he signed a temporary increase to 195,000 and its future return to 65,000.
Family categories,
(they are not allowed
to work with some
exceptions )
With his H-1B Visa Reform Act, George W. Bush expanded the 65,000 cap for high skilled workers to an extra 20,000 for graduates of U.S. masters programs or higher.
After 2007, students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were eligible for an additional 17 months of practical training, for a total of 29 months.
Obama’s 2014 executive order asked to expand practical training for foreign students.
An executive order on Nov. 20, 2014, was directed to expand visa programs for foreign investors, researchers, inventors and skilled foreign workers. It asked also to provide work authorization to the spouses of certain H-1B visa holders on the path to lawful permanent resident status.
In 1999, Bill Clinton boosted the original H1-B cap from 65,000 to 115,000 “to address a shortage of skilled workers.” In 1998, he signed a temporary increase to 195,000 and its future return to 65,000.
Family categories,
(they are not allowed
to work with some
exceptions )
With his H-1B Visa Reform Act, George W. Bush expanded the 65,000 cap for high skilled workers to an extra 20,000 for graduates of U.S. masters programs or higher.
After 2007, students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were eligible for an additional 17 months of practical training, for a total of 29 months.
An executive order on Nov. 20, 2014, was directed to expand visa programs for foreign investors, researchers, inventors and skilled foreign workers. It asked also to provide work authorization to the spouses of certain H-1B visa holders on the path to lawful permanent resident status.
Obama’s 2014 executive order asked to expand practical training for foreign students.
Why are tech companies concerned?
Amid increasing globalization in recent decades, the U.S. economy has relied on foreign labor for innovation. “There is a strong correlation between immigration and innovation,” said Manjari Raman, program director and senior researcher at the U.S. Competitiveness Project at Harvard Business School. “Tech companies in Silicon Valley rely on innovation as a competitive advantage, and they want access to large pools of talent.”
A study by Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce suggests that by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education and training, an increase from 28 percent in 1973.
“Our undergrads are predominantly U.S.-born but frequently come from families who are first-generation. But our master’s and PhD programs are extremely global in nature,” said Fiona E. Murray, associate dean for innovation at MIT. “This is not about excluding American students, but actually recognizing the demand for advanced education — especially PhDs and beyond — is often more global and less local in nature. And so we have an opportunity to educate a very global community of young innovators.”
[ ‘Deeply concerned': Corporate America responds to Trump’s travel ban]
H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, and H-4 visas for their immediate relatives, represent more than a third of the total visas related to employment.
For tech and research industries, these seem essential: The number of these visas is capped — for 2017, the limit is 65,000 plus an extra 20,000 for those with a master’s. Demand has exceeded the cap in most recent years, so a lottery system decides who receives a visa.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification is responsible for deciding if there are any qualified and available U.S. workers in the area of intended employment. It also must ensure that the admission of a foreign worker will not impact on the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. These certifications, while they don’t reflect the final number of visas, provide the best indicator of the needs for different companies. Most of these jobs are in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), according to a 2015 report from the certification office.
TOP 5 COMPANIES BY REQUESTS
Main positions needed
1.
Cognizant Tech. Solutions
Computer systems analysts
2.
Google Inc.
Software developers
3.
Intel Corporation
Electronics engineers
4.
Cisco Systems Inc.
Software developers
5.
Microsoft Corporation
Software developers
OCCUPATIONS WITH MORE THAN 1,000 LABOR CERTIFICATIONS IN 2015
Software developers
(applications)
Computer
systems
analysts
Software
developers
(systems
software)
Electronics
engineers
(except
computer)
Computer
and information
systems
managers
26,465
9,800
5,218
3,024
1,862
TOP 10 COMPANIES BY REQUESTS
Main positions needed
1.
Cognizant Tech. Solutions U.S. Corp.
Computer systems analysts
2.
Google Inc.
Software developers
3.
Intel Corporation
Electronics engineers
4.
Cisco Systems Inc.
Software developers
5.
Microsoft Corporation
Software developers
6.
Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
Electronics engineers
7.
Amazon Corporate LLC
Software developers
8.
Oracle America Inc.
Software developers
9.
Apple Inc.
Software developers
10.
Ernst Young U.S. LLP
Accountants and auditors
OCCUPATIONS WITH MORE THAN 1,000 PERMANENT LABOR CERTIFICATIONS IN 2015
Electronics
engineers
(except computer)
Software developers
(applications)
Computer
systems
analysts
Software developers
(systems software)
Computer
and information
systems managers
26,465
9,800
5,218
3,024
1,862
TOP 25 COMPANIES BY REQUESTS
Main positions needed
1.
Cognizant Tech. Solutions U.S. Corp.
Computer systems analysts
2.
Google Inc.
Software developers
3.
Intel Corporation
Electronics engineers
4.
Cisco Systems Inc.
Software developers,
5.
Microsoft Corporation
Software developers
6.
Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
Electronics engineers
7.
Amazon Corporate LLC
Software developers
8.
Oracle America Inc.
Software developers
9.
Apple Inc.
Software developers
10.
Ernst Young U.S. LLP
Accountants and auditors
11.
Facebook Inc.
Software developers
12.
House of Raeford Farms Inc.
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters
13.
Hcl America Inc.
Computer systems analysts
14.
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Software developers
15.
Defender Services Inc.
Janitors and cleaners
16.
Koch Foods of Alabama LLC
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters
17.
Goldman Sachs Co.
Software developers
18.
JP Morgan Chase Co.
Software developers
19.
Capgemini Financial Services USA Inc.
Software developers
20.
Yahoo! Inc.
Software developers
21.
Igate Technologies Inc.
Software developers
22.
IBM Corporation
Software developers
23.
Infosys Ltd.
Computer systems analysts
24.
Case Farms Processing Inc.
Slaughterers and meat packers
25.
Ericsson Inc.
Software developers
But experts like Raman also note the need for these companies to do more.
“In areas like STEM there is a shortage of high skill talent within the country,” she said. “Immigration is a great way to fill a gap, but there is an opportunity here for these companies to see what they can do more to create a pipeline of talent within the U.S.” At the same time, she said, “we should encourage students who come to the U.S. for higher studies, to stay back in the U.S. rather than send them back to their own countries. You need both.”
It could impact U.S. competitiveness
Some of the international economies where these researchers and workers are coming from are among U.S. competitors, although Raman clarified: “Competitiveness is not a win-lose game. When the U.S. becomes more competitive, everyone benefits. When China becomes more competitive, everyone benefits.” The four largest feeder countries for American companies are also among the top contributors to U.S. invention and research.
TOP 4 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
Labor certifications in 2015
1.
India
45,670
6,411
2.
China
3.
South Korea
4,895
4.
Canada
2,962
TOP 4 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
Labor certifications in 2015
1.
India
45,670
2.
China
6,411
3.
South Korea
4,895
4.
Canada
2,962
TOP 4 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
Labor certifications in 2015
1.
India
45,670
2.
China
6,411
3.
South Korea
4,895
4.
Canada
2,962
Since 2008, more U.S. patents have been registered by non-U.S. citizens than those registered by Americans. Murray confirmed this trend: “In our MIT alumni survey, the rate of patenting is higher for foreign-born students (34 percent) than for U.S.-born students (30 percent).”
[ CRISPR pioneer muses about long journey from China to pinnacle of American science]
U.S. PATENTS
Top ten countries for U.S.
patents in 2015, by the residence
of the first-named inventor.
0K
10
20
30
40
50
Japan
South Korea
Germany
Taiwan
China
Canada
France
Britain
Israel
India
In 2015, more U.S. patents were registered by Non U.S. citizens, than by U.S. citizens.
Foreign
origin
157,438
150k
U.S. origin
140,969
100k
50k
0
2002
2008
2015
U.S. DOCTORATES
Top ten countries of foreign citizenship for U.S. doctorate recipients, 2004-2014
20
0K
10
30
40
China
India
South Korea
Taiwan
Canada
Turkey
Thailand
Japan
Mexico
Iran
Iran, one of the countries affected by the travel ban, is among the top ten countries with most U.S. doctorates.
U.S. doctorates awarded, by citizenship and field of study in 2014.
Temporary
Visa holders
U.S. Citizens and
Permanent residents
100%
Life sciences
Physical sciences
Social sciences
Engineering
Education
Humanities
U.S. PATENTS
Top ten countries for U.S.
patents in 2015, by the residence
of the first-named inventor.
In 2015, more U.S. patents were registered by Non U.S. citizens, than by U.S. citizens.
0K
10
20
30
40
50
Foreign origin
Japan
South Korea
Germany
Taiwan
China
Canada
France
Britain
Israel
India
157,438
150k
U.S. origin
140,969
100k
50k
0
2002
2008
2015
U.S. DOCTORATES
Top ten countries of foreign citizenship for U.S. doctorate recipients, 2004-2014
U.S. doctorates awarded, by citizenship and field of study in 2014.
Temporary
Visa holders
U.S. Citizens and
Permanent residents
20
0K
10
30
40
China
India
South Korea
Taiwan
Canada
Turkey
Thailand
Japan
Mexico
Iran
100%
Life sciences
Physical sciences
Social sciences
Engineering
Iran, one of the countries affected by the travel ban, is among the top ten countries with most U.S. doctorates.
Education
Humanities
U.S. PATENTS
Top ten countries for U.S.
patents in 2015, by the residence
of the first-named inventor.
In 2015, more U.S. patents were registered by Non U.S. citizens, than by U.S. citizens.
0K
10
20
30
40
50
Foreign origin
Japan
South Korea
Germany
Taiwan
China
Canada
France
Britain
Israel
India
157,438
150k
U.S. origin
140,969
100k
50k
0
2002
2008
2015
U.S. DOCTORATES
Top ten countries of foreign citizenship for U.S. doctorate recipients, 2004-2014
U.S. doctorates awarded, by citizenship and field of study in 2014.
Temporary
Visa holders
U.S. Citizens and
Permanent residents
20
0K
10
30
40
China
India
South Korea
Taiwan
Canada
Turkey
Thailand
Japan
Mexico
Iran
100%
Life sciences
Physical sciences
Social sciences
Iran, one of the countries affected by the travel ban, is among the top ten countries with most U.S. doctorates.
Engineering
Education
Humanities
Need for an open debate
In a recent report, experts from the Harvard Business School said one of the ways to keep the U.S. economy competitive is to allow the influx of more high-skilled workers.
However, the country doesn’t necessarily agree. The study notes that only 29 percent of the public supports high-skilled immigration, compared to 77 percent from the business community.
“Many more jobs have been lost due to automation rather than immigration,” Raman said, adding that the latter is often the focus of the blame.
To ensure the country’s ability to compete, Raman encouraged politicians to inform the public and keep an open dialogue including business leaders’ perspective, but also the needs of U.S. citizens. “The United States is competitive if its companies are able to compete successfully across the globe and, at the same time, the average American is able to aspire to rising living standards,” Raman said.
“If a policy decision serves only U.S. companies or if it serves only the average American, that might not always serve the country best in the long run. It may seem a good policy in the short term, but in the long term it may have unintended consequences that could harm the country’s ability to compete globally.”
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