The contributions that immigrants make to American life, culture and society are numerous. Among the many things immigrants have come to play a big role in here in the U.S. is scientific research and development. This can be seen in statistics on immigrant Nobel Prize winners in America.
Over the past several decades, more and more Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Medicine and Chemistry have been U.S. immigrants. Immigrants to America were awarded 25 Nobel prizes in these areas between 1901 and 1959. The 1960 to 2016 period, despite consisting of fewer years, saw a much larger total. Over that time period, 79 such prizes were given to immigrants here in United States.
The trend has been particularly pronounced in recent years. Of all the American winners of Nobel Prizes in the above-mentioned fields since 2000, around 40 percent (31 of 78) were immigrants. And immigrants made up all six of this year’s American winners in scientific and economics fields.
So, without immigrants, who knows how many scientific contributions America would have missed out on?
There are various immigration routes for individuals with scientific talent to come to the United States. Individuals who have already shown excellence in their field may be eligible to apply for a green card though things such as the EB-1 category. Those who are just starting in their field and desire to work in America might qualify for one of the other employment-based categories. Meanwhile, students who desire to develop their scientific abilities in U.S. schools may be eligible for a student visa. Attorneys can help individuals who wish to come to the U.S. in relation the sciences understand what options regarding immigration are available to them.
Source: Forbes, “Immigrants Flooding America With Nobel Prizes,” Stuart Anderson, Oct. 16, 2016