The Supply Side of Innovation: H-1B Visa Reforms and US Ethnic Invention
نویسندگان
چکیده
This study evaluates the impact of high-skilled immigrants on US technology formation. Speci cally, we use reduced-form speci cations that exploit large changes in the H-1B visa program. Fluctuations in H-1B admissions levels signi cantly inuence the rate of Indian and Chinese patenting in cities and rms dependent upon the program relative to their peers. Most speci cations nd weak crowding-in e¤ects or no e¤ect at all for native patenting. Total invention increases with higher admission levels primarily through the direct contributions of ethnic inventors. JEL Classi cation: F15, F22, J44, J61, O31.
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