An avg Indian immigrant can save US government $1.7 million over 30 years: Research

Indian immigrants are the most economically beneficial immigrant group in the US, a new study published by the Manhattan Institute showed.

"The average Indian immigrant and his or her descendants will save the federal government $1.7 million over 30 years," the author Daniel Di Martino, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said.

Crazy

people on X are bashing Indian immigrants, but my new research published today finds that Indians are the best major country of origin group of immigrants.

The average Indian immigrant and his or her descendants will save the federal government $1.7 million over 30 years. pic.twitter.com/I8YdTBtBvU

— Daniel Di Martino ???????????????? (@DanielDiMartino) October 23, 2025

Behind Indian immigrants are the Chinese, who reduce the debt by over $800,000 over 30 years. Next, Filipinos reduce the debt by over $600,000. Colombians and Venezuelans reduce the debt by $500,000 and $400,000, respectively, the report added.

The findings are significant given the latest narrowing of the door for migrant workers, including the skilled ones moving to the US with a H-1B visa, by the Donald Trump administration.

The report also recommends a series of reforms that wouldn't increase the number of migrants into the US, but, at the same time, reduce the wait time for green card aspirants.

These policy suggestions include the following: 

Removing caps on employment-based visas based on the country of origin, work visas for spouses and children (above the age of 15) who don't have an H4 visa, or are in the US as a dependent or as a student with an  F-1 international visa.

These measures may alone add over a million people, 1,015,400 to be precise, to the US workforce without adding to the pool of immigrants in the US, the report estimated.

Martin also recommends auction of EB5 green cards, which offers permanent residency to those who invest in a commercial enterprise in the US, and to allocate H1-B visa not at random, "employers based on the salaries they offer, adjusting for the local cost of living and age of the applicant such that the applicants with the highest location-adjusted wage for their age bracket would receive the visa."

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