RESEARCH SHOWS PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN WORKERS' WAGES MAY BE HIGHER THAN AMERICANS'

Recent research by two University of Maryland researchers, Hank Lucas and Sunil Mithas, suggests that foreign born professionals may earn higher wages than American workers. The study followed 802 foreign tech workers in the U.S. on H-1B and L-1 visas between 2000 and 2005. The analysis found that those who were working with H-1B and L-1 visa earned 6.8 percent more than U.S. natives in similar jobs, and that immigrant tech workers with green cards earned nearly 13 percent more than U.S. natives. The study also suggests that these foreign workers gain bargaining power with their employers throughout their stay (probably due to the high portability opportunities of H-1B workers).
The study helps to refute the myth that these visas drag down the wages paid to Americans. It's great to get confirmation of what we always knew to be true -- that professional foreign nationals are paid at least the same, if not more than Americans in most cases.