A Long View of America’s Immigration Policy and the Supply of Foreign-Born STEM Workers in the United States

Abstract

The immigration policy of the United States has admitted generous numbers of skilled migrants. There was a steady increase from the 1950s and then notable growth following the acts of 1965 and 1990, including a substantial increase in the 1990s. Today, the foreign born make up one quarter of the workforce in the life and physical sciences, one fifth of information technology, and one sixth of the engineering workforce. Yet, many observers are concerned that the United States restricts the number of skilled immigrants, although it admits roughly 70,000 skilled primary workers yearly on permanent visas and roughly 300,000 on so-called temporary visas. Recent legislation addresses the concerns over numbers, however poorly framed those concerns are in reality, but it is arguable that the concern over numbers is misleading and there should be more focus on improving the admission process to efficiently admit the best foreign workers.

Keywords

admission policy immigration occupations science and engineering workforce

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