2013 Hinckley Journal - Hinckley Institute of Politics - University of ...

Unlimited Talent: The Benefits of High-Skilled Immigrants
By Nicolas Tang
Technological companies are increasingly in need of talent and skills often lacking within the native workforce. If the
demand for such workers cannot be met, the United States’ economic competitiveness will continue to diminish. This
research focuses on high-skilled immigrants, a sub-group of immigrants characterized by entrepreneurship, innovation,
and intellect. Though they are ideal candidates for the many unfilled positions in technological sectors, unreasonable
policies both deter and prevent these individuals from contributing to the country. An analysis of other surveys, studies,
and research reveals that certain visas can take applicants decades to obtain. Furthermore, the cause for most of the
opposition towards high-skilled immigrants seems to be fueled by nativism and lack of education. Luckily, if policymakers
can begin to scrutinize the issue of high-skilled immigrants in a more objective manner, solutions can be easily
achieved. The examined data suggests that simply eliminating visa caps can remove many of the decade-long backlogs
in a few years. In other words, this would finally ease the process of attracting and retaining the exceptional talent that
will keep moving this country forward.
With about 214 million immigrants worldwide, 42 million of whom
are located in the United States alone (UN DESA, 2008), immigration
is likely going to remain one of the most controversial
and significant issues of this nation. It is estimated that immigrants represent
about 12%-13% of the total U.S. population. However, due to the
difficulty and lack of tools to accurately assess the amount of undocumented
individuals, it is probable that immigrants actually represent an even larger
percentage of the population. The polarizing nature of this issue has created
countless heated debates in an effort to determine the best policies and
regulations. Some firmly believe that immigrants
pose serious threats to the economy which can only
be countered through more restrictive regulations,
while others contend that immigrants are indispensable
assets that must be encouraged to reside in the
country permanently.
The purpose of this research is to provide compelling
evidence that gives policymakers a clear path
to better decisions. Though the topic of immigration
is highly complex, an analysis of current data and
research reveals that certain aspects of this issue are
easier to address. This paper identifies three distinct
categories of immigrants. The first category will be
referred to as “low-skilled immigrants.” These include
all immigrants that do not possess a college degree and are commonly
associated with low-skilled jobs (positions that require minimal qualifications).
In the second category and the main focus of this research are
“There is a wealth of evidence that
overwhelmingly suggests that
high-skilled immigrants provide a
net benefit to this country and its
economy. In other words, the
United States gains more from the
contributions of these immigrants
than what may be lost through their
disadvantages.”
“high-skilled immigrants.” These are all those who possess a college degree
or higher, and are known as “professionals.” Lastly, “illegal/undocumented
immigrants” represent all those who are present in the United States without
legal consent of the government regardless of their skills. When possible,
this research approaches each group separately. However, the intricate topic
of immigration sometimes requires the blending of these groups to address
certain issues. Yet by identifying different types of immigrants and focusing
on the highly skilled, the issue of immigration can be immensely simplified.
The primary hypothesis of this research predicts that there is a wealth of
evidence that overwhelmingly suggests that highskilled
immigrants provide a net benefit to this
country and its economy. In other words, the United
States gains more from the contributions of these
immigrants than what may be lost through their
disadvantages. If the previous statement can be
shown to be true, perhaps lawmakers can be led to
focus on policy rather than ideological issues affecting
high-skilled immigrants. It is also important to
note that though this research chooses to focus on
high-skilled immigrants, it does not implicitly
suggest the inferiority of other groups. In fact, the
data presented will often and inevitably also defend
low-skilled immigrants.
Section 1 of this research will present the major problems surrounding
the issue of high-skilled immigrants in the United States. These include an
inability to satisfy a growing demand for these individuals and an inefficient
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