After Years of Stagnation, Immigration to United States Rebounded in 2013

Houston, TX (Law Firm Newswire) November 25, 2014 – Drawn to a strengthening U.S. economy, Indian immigrants formed the largest group of newcomers in 2013.

The U.S. Census Bureau has made official what seemed only anecdotally true until now: the number of immigrants to the United States grew in 2013. By 523,400, to be precise. That figure is higher than the 446,800 total recorded in 2012 and represents the biggest single increase since 2006. 

As a result of the uptick in immigration, nearly one in six adults living in the United States is now foreign-born. And unlike previous periods of increasing immigration, the current growth in immigration has been fueled in large part by immigration from Asia (especially from India), the Middle East and Africa. 

India, which sent 254,000 new arrivals (up 14 percent) and China, which offered 217,000 newcomers (up 10 percent) were the first and second biggest sources, respectively, of immigrants in 2013.

The growth in immigration from India has dovetailed with a steadily improving U.S. economy, especially in industries with a heavy demand for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workers. Indeed, one measure of how the economy has strengthened can be seen in how quickly the 65,000 annually allotted H-1B visas that U.S. businesses use to hire many of their STEM workers were taken this year: the cap was reached in less than one week. In 2012, it took three months, and in 2011, eight months, for the same limit to be met.

“As STEM-worker-dependent industries support an increasingly important economic sector within the United States, the swelling demand for H-1B visas is an excellent barometer for the health of the economy,” said Annie Banerjee, a prominent attorney in Houston who specializes in immigration law. “Highly skilled Indian immigrants are a key element to satisfying the growing demand for these workers.”

Texas has led the nation in the state number of immigrants since 2010, with 227,240 new arrivals (followed by California with 160,771 and Florida with 140,019).

“The increase in immigration has been particularly noticeable since the end of the Great Recession,” Banerjee said. “In an improved economic environment, it makes sense that large states such as Texas and California, which also are home to many STEM-based industries, would account for the bulk of the growth in immigration.”

Learn more at http://www.visatous.com Law Offices of Annie Banerjee 131 Brooks Street, Suite #300 Sugar Land, Texas 77478 Phone: (281) 242-9139