Results Will Be Discussed at March 10 Conference
Contact: Ashley Creel
(202) 828-4405
March 6, 2009 – Lifting restrictions on high-skilled immigration would reduce the federal deficit, according to a new study by TPI senior fellow Arlene Holen. The new study will be discussed at a March 10 TPI conference at the National Press Club from 12-3. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) will deliver a keynote address. The conference agenda and registration information can be found here.
Holen’s study shows:
- Highly skilled immigrants pay substantially more in taxes than they receive in federal benefits.
- Green card and H-1B constraints have precluded hundreds of thousands of foreign graduates of U.S. colleges and universities with technical majors from contributing to the U.S. economy. Such workers might have added almost $14 billion to the nation’s GDP in 2008 and some $3 billion to the federal treasury.
- Green card constraints have kept hundreds of thousands of H-1B visa-holders from continuing to work in the United States. Such workers might have added roughly $5 billion to the federal treasury in 2008.
- Legislation considered by Congress during the last few years to loosen green card and H-1B caps could reduce the federal deficit on the order of $100 billion over ten years.
The Technology Policy Institute
The Technology Policy Institute is a research and educational organization that focuses on the economics of innovation, technological change, and related regulation in the United States and around the world. More information is available at https://techpolicyinstitute.org/.
