Educated Indian Migrants Dominate US Talent Pool At 14%: Report

The report highlighted that 48 per cent of migrants who arrived between 2018 and 2022 held a college degree, with Indians making up 2 million—or 14 per cent—of that group

In 2022, 68 per cent of college-educated immigrants were under 55 years old, surpassing the 61 per cent of US-born graduates in that age group

Source : Pexels

Indian migrants have become one of the largest group of educated immigrants in the US, representing 14 per cent of the global educated immigrant population, according to a study by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a US-based think tank. As of 2022, there were over 14 million college-educated migrants in the US. 

The report highlighted that 48 per cent of migrants who arrived between 2018 and 2022 held a college degree, with Indians making up 2 million—or 14 per cent—of that group. The study focuses on individuals over the age of 25.

“...the top countries of origin for all college-educated immigrants were India (14 per cent), China (including Hong Kong; about 8 per cent) … These countries were among the top senders of immigrant college graduates who arrived from 2018 to 2022, but a larger share came from India (20 per cent)...,” the report states.

In 2022, 68 per cent of college-educated immigrants were under 55 years old, surpassing the 61 per cent of US-born graduates in that age group. The trend among H-1B workers—foreign professionals in the US—indicated that in the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY 2023), over 72 per cent of approved H-1B petitions were for Indian workers. The H-1B visa, a non-immigrant visa, is primarily used by US tech companies to hire foreign nationals.

The data trend indicated that during the 2022-23 academic year, the total number of international students enrolled in US higher education institutions reached an impressive figure of approximately 1.1 million. Among these students, a significant majority—71 per cent, which translates to about 748,000 individuals—identified as Asian. Notably, students from China and India were particularly prominent, with China contributing around 290,000 students and India adding approximately 267,000 students. Together, these two countries represented more than half of the overall international student population in the US, according to the report.

In addition, it was noted that in 2022, migrants comprised 18 per cent of the total workforce in civilian employment. This statistic underscores the important role that migrant workers play in the labour market.