The report “Exceptional by Design” is not a very original statement in support of skilled immigration, but it synthesizes many studies into one document. It covers the potential use of more of those who come for higher education study and the use of early and mid-career immigrants.  Its argument:

• High-skilled immigrants accelerate innovation—their authorship of 36% of U.S. innovative output since 1990, with each 1% increase in their population share raising patents per capita by 9-18%
• They comprise 19% of National Academy of Engineering members, 24% of National Academy of Sciences members, and 34% of Nobel Prize winners.
• The semiconductor sector where immigrants founded Fairchild Semiconductor, which spawned Intel and Apple, and now account for 34% of patents in strategic fields, enhancing U.S. exports and competitiveness.
• 80% more likely than native-born adults to start businesses, founding not just boutique firms both also 55% of unicorn startups (valued over $1 billion),
• They expand job opportunities more than they compete for them, with H-1B workers earning a median $118,000 (surpassing 90% of U.S. workers).
• They make high-skilled labor less scarce, reduce income inequality, accelerating wage growth faster for low-wage workers while still elevating high-skilled pay.

Here are past postings on the penetration of skilled immigrants (mainly STEM and medicine) in the Boston area, the rise of foreign-born STEM workers over time, and polls showing strong support for skilled worker immigration.