High skilled immigration is key to the economy.

While high-skilled legal immigrants can be essential to a competitive and robust economy, the outdated U.S. immigration system creates significant barriers to retaining them, often discouraging qualified individuals who were educated and trained in the U.S. from working here permanently. A recent BPC-Morning Consult poll showed that many Americans support efforts to retain high-skilled immigrants, and believe they have a positive impact on the U.S. economy. Research has shown that skilled immigrants drive innovation, create jobs, and fill critical labor gaps. Moreover, persistent labor shortages, a result of an aging U.S. population, coupled with declining birth rates require innovative solutions to ensure an adequate supply of workers to fill in-demand skilled positions. Policy action focused on retaining current immigrant workers and attracting more high-skilled immigrants would ensure the U.S. has the workforce to maintain competitiveness.

Importance of and need for high-skilled immigrants

High-skilled immigrants could have a central role in advancing efforts to support innovative research by increasing the number of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields that are in dire need of talent. Based on classifications created by the Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee, STEM workers include computer and mathematical occupations, engineers and engineering technicians, life scientists, physical scientists, social scientists, science technicians, and STEM managers. The work of skilled foreign employees complements the work done by their native counterparts. Examples of complementary occupations are office and administrative support workers and financial specialists; and health and personal care aids and doctors and surgeons. Research has found that the work done by high skill immigrants, particularly in the STEM industry, boosts economic growth per capita and increases overall wages for workers[.]