Washington, Oct. 24 – A new report from the Manhattan Institute has found that Indian immigrants are the most valuable for the U.S. economy, pushing GDP up while pulling national debt down. The study shows that an average Indian immigrant can reduce U.S. debt by $1.6 million over 30 years and adds more to GDP than any other immigrant group.
H‑1B visa holders lead the way. The report says an average H‑1B worker boosts GDP by $500,000 over 30 years and cuts debt by $2.3 million. Daniel Martino, the study’s author and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, called South Asian immigrants “the most fiscally positive group.”
Martino warns that ending the H‑1B program could add $185 billion to U.S. debt in the next decade and shrink the economy by $26 billion. He recommends scrapping the lottery system and moving to a wage‑based visa scheme.
The White House is already fighting legal challenges to recent H‑1B changes. President Biden’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the administration is ready to defend its reforms, citing fraud in the old system that she says drives down wages for American workers. The president plans to refine the program to better protect U.S. jobs.
Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration over the new visa rules, arguing that a proposed $100,000 fee would harm businesses and lock in foreign talent at higher costs. This is the second major lawsuit against the new rules after a lawsuit from teaching, labor and religious groups.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued guidance on the $100,000 H‑1B fee. Workers moving from other visas—such as student visas—won’t have to pay the fee, and the rule only applies to new petitions filed from outside the country.
In 2024, more than 70 % of the H‑1B visas approved were for India-born workers, reflecting the high number of skilled Indians facing long wait times and the backlog of applications.
The study’s findings fuel the debate over the role of Indian immigrants and H‑1B workers in the U.S. economy, and they highlight the ongoing legal and policy battles surrounding the nation’s skilled‑worker visa system.
Source: ianslive
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