Report: Naturalized immigrants are more successful and educated than U.S. Natives

The full-time employment rate of U.S. residents who were born outside the country was higher last year than that of those born in the United States, writes "Voice of America«.

In addition, the proportion of people with a higher degree than a bachelor among naturalized immigrants is higher than among natives of the United States.

New data show that the economic gap between those born in the country and those born abroad is narrowing with citizenship.

According to data obtained last year, stateless immigrants have a higher poverty level, lower income level and lower level of education compared to citizens born in the United States.

At the same time, immigrants with citizenship are less poor than Native US citizens and have almost the same income level. In addition, among these immigrants there are more people with a higher degree than a bachelor.

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“Usually, immigrants start life in the United States with a slight income gap because they need to find the right job, learn the skills they need here, and so on, after which they catch up,” says economist Giovanni Perry of the University of California, Davis.

“Immigrants are also very different from each other, and perhaps the more educated and better-off people have gone through naturalization,” he adds.

The full employment rate among naturalized immigrants was 83 percent last year, among non-citizens — 81 percent, and among indigenous citizens — 77 percent.

Among naturalized immigrants, approximately one of the 6,5 has a master's degree or higher, while among indigenous citizens and non-citizens this figure is only about one in 8 people.

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The Current Population Survey for 2018 also examines the differences between immigrants with and without citizenship. In 2018, 45,4 million people of foreign origin resided in the United States. They make up about a seventh of the US population.

Apparently, the level of education plays a role in narrowing the income gap between those born in the country and those born abroad.

The median income for naturalized immigrants was 50 786 dollars per year, slightly lower than the 51 547 dollars for those born in the United States, while non-citizen immigrants lag significantly behind both groups with median income 36 449 dollars per year.

However, naturalized immigrants with higher education bypass the income level of those born in the country with higher education. If we compare people with a master's degree or higher, then in this group the median income of naturalized immigrants and non-citizens is higher than the median income of US natives.

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“Immigrants with advanced degrees, whether they naturalized or not, are probably more grouped in higher paid jobs than natives of the United States,” said Stefan Ryer, a demographer at the University of Florida.

About half of US residents born overseas came from Latin America, less than a third from Asia and 10 percent from Europe.

Recall that any immigrant who used Medicaid, government housing assistance, or food stamps for more than 12 months for an 36 month period, may be denied permanent resident status under a new rule introduced by President Trump.