Skip to main content
Erschienen in: Demography 1/2012

01.02.2012

The Value of an Employment-Based Green Card

verfasst von: Sankar Mukhopadhyay, David Oxborrow

Erschienen in: Demography | Ausgabe 1/2012

Einloggen

Aktivieren Sie unsere intelligente Suche, um passende Fachinhalte oder Patente zu finden.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The need for and role of highly skilled immigrant workers in the U.S. economy is fiercely debated. Proponents and opponents agree that temporary foreign workers are paid a lower wage than are natives. This lower wage partly originates from the restricted mobility of workers while on a temporary visa. In this article, we estimate the wage gain to employment-based immigrants from acquiring permanent U.S. residency. We use data from the New Immigrant Survey (2003) and implement a difference-in-difference propensity score matching estimator. We find that for employer-sponsored immigrants, the acquisition of a green card leads to an annual wage gain of about $11,860.

Sie haben noch keine Lizenz? Dann Informieren Sie sich jetzt über unsere Produkte:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Anhänge
Nur mit Berechtigung zugänglich
Fußnoten
1
We use the terms “green card,” “legal permanent residency (LPR),” and “permanent residency” interchangeably in this article.
 
2
Extensions on pending green card applications can alter the six-year time interval.
 
3
In our analysis, we do not distinguish between H-1B and L-1 temporary workers. Although the use of L-1 visa has increased since the late 1990s, the number of L-1 visas issued is still small compared with the number of H-1B visas even though the number of L-1 visas is not capped (Kirkegaard 2005). Given the time frame of our sample, we do not expect the share of L-1 immigrants to be particularly large in our sample. We discuss this issue further in the Data section.
 
4
Green cards may have a high nonmonetary value (e.g., utility from having relatives close-by, or peace of mind from persecution), but we do not address those issues here.
 
5
Another level of selection relates to the question of who immigrates in the first place. That selection, although important for other purposes, may not be very important here because our universe consists of only immigrants and not the whole population of the source countries.
 
6
We also implemented a cross-sectional matching on a larger sample of 863 immigrants. The summary statistics for this group are in the last four columns of Table 2.
 
7
Alternatively, we could have matched of the year of birth, which would not require this adjustment. But interpretations of coefficients of higher-order terms (like age squared) are problematic. Using year of birth yields the same results.
 
8
We did not use years of education in our baseline specification because that variable did not satisfy the balancing criterion in the cross-sectional matching sample (discussed later in this section). However, years of education does satisfy the balancing criterion in this sample, and including it in the propensity score specification does not change our estimates.
 
9
The summary statistics for this sample are presented in the last four columns of Table 2.
 
Literatur
Zurück zum Zitat Abadie, A., & Imbens, G. (2008). On the failure of the bootstrap for matching estimators. Econometrica, 76, 1537–1557.CrossRef Abadie, A., & Imbens, G. (2008). On the failure of the bootstrap for matching estimators. Econometrica, 76, 1537–1557.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Becker, S. O., & Ichino, A. (2002). Estimation of average treatment effects based on propensity scores. The Stata Journal, 2, 358–377. Becker, S. O., & Ichino, A. (2002). Estimation of average treatment effects based on propensity scores. The Stata Journal, 2, 358–377.
Zurück zum Zitat Borjas, G. J. (1987). Self-selection and the earnings of immigrants. American Economic Review, 77, 531–553. Borjas, G. J. (1987). Self-selection and the earnings of immigrants. American Economic Review, 77, 531–553.
Zurück zum Zitat Chiswick, B. R. (1980). An analysis of the economic progress and impact of immigrants (Report prepared for the Employment and Training Administration). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor. Chiswick, B. R. (1980). An analysis of the economic progress and impact of immigrants (Report prepared for the Employment and Training Administration). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.
Zurück zum Zitat Constant, A., & Massey, D. S. (2003). Self-selection, earnings, and out-migration: A longitudinal study of immigrants to Germany. Journal of Population Economics, 16, 631–653.CrossRef Constant, A., & Massey, D. S. (2003). Self-selection, earnings, and out-migration: A longitudinal study of immigrants to Germany. Journal of Population Economics, 16, 631–653.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Dehejia, R., & Wabha, S. (2002). Propensity score matching methods for non-experimental causal studies. Review of Economics and Statistics, 84, 151–161.CrossRef Dehejia, R., & Wabha, S. (2002). Propensity score matching methods for non-experimental causal studies. Review of Economics and Statistics, 84, 151–161.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Gass-Kandilov, A. (2007). The value of a green card: Immigrant wage increases following adjustment to U.S. permanent residence. Unpublished paper, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Gass-Kandilov, A. (2007). The value of a green card: Immigrant wage increases following adjustment to U.S. permanent residence. Unpublished paper, Department of Economics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Zurück zum Zitat Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., Smith, J., & Todd, P. (1996). Sources of selection bias in evaluating social programs: An interpretation of conventional measures and evidence on the effectiveness of matching as a program evaluation method. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 93, 13416–13420.CrossRef Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., Smith, J., & Todd, P. (1996). Sources of selection bias in evaluating social programs: An interpretation of conventional measures and evidence on the effectiveness of matching as a program evaluation method. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 93, 13416–13420.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., Smith, J., & Todd, P. (1998a). Characterizing selection bias using experimental data. Econometrica, 66, 1017–1098.CrossRef Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., Smith, J., & Todd, P. (1998a). Characterizing selection bias using experimental data. Econometrica, 66, 1017–1098.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., & Todd, P. (1997). Matching as an econometric estimator: Evidence from evaluating a job training programme. Review of Economic Studies, 64, 605–654.CrossRef Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., & Todd, P. (1997). Matching as an econometric estimator: Evidence from evaluating a job training programme. Review of Economic Studies, 64, 605–654.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., & Todd, P. (1998b). Matching as an econometric evaluation estimator. Review of Economic Studies, 65, 261–294.CrossRef Heckman, J., Ichimura, H., & Todd, P. (1998b). Matching as an econometric evaluation estimator. Review of Economic Studies, 65, 261–294.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Hersch, J. (2008). Profiling the new immigrant worker: The effects of skin color and height. Journal of Labor Economics, 26, 345–386. Hersch, J. (2008). Profiling the new immigrant worker: The effects of skin color and height. Journal of Labor Economics, 26, 345–386.
Zurück zum Zitat Jasso, G., & Rosenzweig, M. R. (1988). How well do U.S. immigrants do? Vintage effects, emigration selectivity, and occupational mobility of immigrants. In T. P. Schultz (Ed.), Research of population economics (Vol. 6, pp. 229–253). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. Jasso, G., & Rosenzweig, M. R. (1988). How well do U.S. immigrants do? Vintage effects, emigration selectivity, and occupational mobility of immigrants. In T. P. Schultz (Ed.), Research of population economics (Vol. 6, pp. 229–253). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Jasso, G., Massey, D., Rosenzweig, M. R., & Smith, J. (2000). The New Immigrant Survey Pilot: Overview and new findings about legal immigrants at admission. Demography, 37, 127–138.CrossRef Jasso, G., Massey, D., Rosenzweig, M. R., & Smith, J. (2000). The New Immigrant Survey Pilot: Overview and new findings about legal immigrants at admission. Demography, 37, 127–138.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Kirkegaard, J. (2005). Outsourcing and skill imports: Foreign high-skilled workers on H-1B and L-1 Visas in the United States (IIE Working Paper No. 05–15). Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics. Retrieved from http://www.iie.com/ Kirkegaard, J. (2005). Outsourcing and skill imports: Foreign high-skilled workers on H-1B and L-1 Visas in the United States (IIE Working Paper No. 05–15). Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics. Retrieved from http://​www.​iie.​com/​
Zurück zum Zitat Lowell, L. B. (2001). Skilled temporary and permanent immigrants in the United States. Population Research and Policy Review, 20, 33–58.CrossRef Lowell, L. B. (2001). Skilled temporary and permanent immigrants in the United States. Population Research and Policy Review, 20, 33–58.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Massey, D. S. (1987). Understanding Mexican migration to the United States. American Journal of Sociology, 92, 1332–1403.CrossRef Massey, D. S. (1987). Understanding Mexican migration to the United States. American Journal of Sociology, 92, 1332–1403.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Matloff, N. (2004). Needed reform for the H-1B and L-1 work visas (and relation to offshoring) (Proposal). Davis: University of California. Matloff, N. (2004). Needed reform for the H-1B and L-1 work visas (and relation to offshoring) (Proposal). Davis: University of California.
Zurück zum Zitat National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). (2006). H-1B professionals and wages: Setting the record straight (NFAP Policy Brief). Arlington, VA: NFAP. Retrieved from http://www.nfap.com/ National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). (2006). H-1B professionals and wages: Setting the record straight (NFAP Policy Brief). Arlington, VA: NFAP. Retrieved from http://​www.​nfap.​com/​
Zurück zum Zitat National Research Council. (2001). Building a workforce for the information economy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. National Research Council. (2001). Building a workforce for the information economy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Zurück zum Zitat Reagan, P. B., & Olsen, R. J. (2000). You can go home again: Evidence from longitudinal data. Demography, 37, 339–350.CrossRef Reagan, P. B., & Olsen, R. J. (2000). You can go home again: Evidence from longitudinal data. Demography, 37, 339–350.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Rosenbaum, P., & Rubin, D. (1983). The central role of the propensity score in the observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70, 41–55.CrossRef Rosenbaum, P., & Rubin, D. (1983). The central role of the propensity score in the observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70, 41–55.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Silverman, B. W. (1986). Density estimation for statistics and data analysis (Monographs on Statistics and Applied Probability). London, UK: Chapman and Hall. Silverman, B. W. (1986). Density estimation for statistics and data analysis (Monographs on Statistics and Applied Probability). London, UK: Chapman and Hall.
Zurück zum Zitat Smith, J., & Todd, P. (2005). Does matching overcome LaLonde’s critique of non-experimental estimators? Journal of Econometrics, 125, 305–353.CrossRef Smith, J., & Todd, P. (2005). Does matching overcome LaLonde’s critique of non-experimental estimators? Journal of Econometrics, 125, 305–353.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat Summers, R., & Heston, A. (1991). The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An expanded set of international comparisons, 1950–1988. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106, 327–368.CrossRef Summers, R., & Heston, A. (1991). The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An expanded set of international comparisons, 1950–1988. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106, 327–368.CrossRef
Zurück zum Zitat U.S. General Accounting Office. (2003). Better tracking needed to help determine H-1B program’s effects on the U.S. workforce (Report). Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/ U.S. General Accounting Office. (2003). Better tracking needed to help determine H-1B program’s effects on the U.S. workforce (Report). Retrieved from http://​www.​gao.​gov/​
Zurück zum Zitat Zavodny, M. (2003). The H-1B program and its effects on information technology workers. Economic Review, Q3, 33–43. Zavodny, M. (2003). The H-1B program and its effects on information technology workers. Economic Review, Q3, 33–43.
Metadaten
Titel
The Value of an Employment-Based Green Card
verfasst von
Sankar Mukhopadhyay
David Oxborrow
Publikationsdatum
01.02.2012
Verlag
Springer US
Erschienen in
Demography / Ausgabe 1/2012
Print ISSN: 0070-3370
Elektronische ISSN: 1533-7790
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-011-0079-3

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 1/2012

Demography 1/2012 Zur Ausgabe