Study: H-1B Immigrants a 'Net Gain' for US (US News & World Report)

As President Donald Trump's administration angles to curb legal immigration and restructure how green cards are issued through a merit-based system, a new report says the arrival of skilled H-1B immigrants over the course of the past two decades has been a net positive for American citizens.

The study also indicates, however, that the relatively recent influx of skilled immigrants into the U.S. – specifically from India, which by the mid-2000s accounted for more than half of all H-1B visa recipients – has dragged on the U.S. tech sector.

Accordingly, the findings potentially could be used to fuel either side of America's politically charged and increasingly relevant immigration debate as the Trump administration attempts to move forward with immigration reform.

The report, commissioned by the Center for Global Development – a think tank that focuses on international development – looked specifically at the impact of skilled Indian immigration to the U.S. during the 1990s and 2000s. It found that U.S.-born workers collectively gained $431 million in 2010 from the productivity and welfare boosts generated by the H-1B system.

That amounts to a boon to U.S. natives of $1,345 per migrant.