Research

Since its founding in 2003, the National Foundation for American Policy has produced more than 75 research reports on topics that include illegal immigration, high skill immigrants, the contributions of immigrants, the impact of restrictions on foreign investment and many others. Studies are organized on the site by topic and year to make them easy to find.


New NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Petitions and Denial Rates in FY 2024, December 12, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Measuring the Effectiveness of Government Spending on Immigration Enforcement, October 17, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and America’s Labor Force Growth, October 15, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: 2.7 Million People Could Lose TPS, DACA and Humanitarian Parole, October 3, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Trump Immigration Policy, High-Skilled Immigration, August 20, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Trump Immigration Policy, Illegal Immigration, August 20, 2024

NFAP Policy Brief: Trump Immigration Policy, Legal Immigration, August 20, 2024

NFAP Policy Brief: International Students in Canada and the United States, April 25, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Importance of Growth in the Foreign-Born Population to U.S. Economic Growth, March 25, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Petitions and Denial Rates in FY 2023, February 26, 2024 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Legal Pathways A Humane and Effective Option, January 9, 2024

NFAP Policy Brief: U.S. Immigration Policy And The Competition With China, December 5, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Refugee Integration in America, October 12, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes, October 4, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Why the United States Still Needs Foreign-Born Workers, July 25, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: AI and Immigrants, June 27, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Illegal Entry, Presidents and Effective Policy, May 9, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigration, Employment Growth and Economic Dynamism, February 22, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Petitions And Denial Rates In FY 2022, February 2, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Historic Refugee Crisis in the Western Hemisphere, January 31, 2023 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-4 Visa Holders An Underutilized Source of Skilled Workers, November 2, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrant Entrepreneurs and U.S. Billion-Dollar Companies, July 26, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Human Smuggling and U.S. Immigration Policy, May 2022

NFAP Policy Brief: Modernizing H-1B Policies and Regulations, April 13, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Analysis of U.S. and Canadian International Student Data, March 3, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: China’s Regulatory Crackdowns and U.S.-China Trade and Investment Relations, February 10, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact of the Covid-19 Drop in International Migration on the U.S. Labor Market, February 3, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Refugees and Security Vetting, January 25, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Petitions and Denial Rates in FY 2021, January 12, 2022 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Japanese Industrial Policy, November 10, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes, October 6, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Updated Employment Data For Computer Occupations as of September 2021, September 27, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates Through the Second Quarter of FY 2021, August 30, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: International Students in Science and Engineering, August 19, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Exec. Dir. Testimony Before the House Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee: On U.S. and Canadian Immigration Policy, July 13, 2021

NFAP Policy Brief: The Earnings of IT Professionals Compared To Other Professionals, June 10, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact on International Students of Ending the H-1B Lottery, May 10, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact on U.S. Men and Women in STEM Fields of Increases in International Students, April 6, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Limiting Executive Authority in Immigration, March 29, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Industrial Policy and U.S. Innovation, March 29, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Employment Data For Computer Occupations for January 2020 to March 2021, March 18, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: An Analysis of the U.S. Citizenship Act, February 23, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: An Analysis of the DOL Final Rule’s Impact on H-1B Visa Holders and Employment-Based Immigrants, February 17, 2021

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigration’s Contribution to Population Growth and Economic Vitality, February 4, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates For FY 2020 and the Impact of Court Decisions, January 27, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Rethinking China Trade Policy, January 26, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Updated Analysis on Employment Data for Computer Occupations for January to November 2020, January 4, 2021 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates Through the Third Quarter of FY 2020, December 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Updated Analysis on Employment Data for Computer Occupations for January to October 2020, November 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Trump Administration Trade Policies, October 29, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: An Analysis of the DOL H-1B Wage Rule, October 16, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes, October 14, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Employment Data For Computer Occupations for January to September 2020, October 13, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: International Students and DHS Data, September 28, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Section 232 and Reform of U.S. Trade Law, September 9, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates Through the Second Quarter of FY 2020, August 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: The Contributions of Immigrants to Sports in America, July 23, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The International Experience of Startup Visas for Immigrant Entrepreneurs, July 15, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and America’s Comeback From the Covid-19 Crisis, July 13, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Updated Analysis of Employment Data for Computer Occupations, June 11, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: Analysis of International Student Data for the 2018-19 Academic Year, June 8, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Military Contributions and Sacrifices of Immigrants, May 22, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact of H-1B Visa Holders on the U.S. Workforce, May 18, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Analysis of Employment Data for Computer Occupations, May 18, 2020

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates and Numerical Limits as Indicators of Current Restrictions, May 7, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: State Department Immigrant and Temporary Visa Declines and Refusals in FY 2019, March 10, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Approved Petitions and Denial Rates for FY 2019, February 26, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact of Administration Policies on Immigration Levels and Labor Force Growth, February 24, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Cost of Trade-Related Aid to American Farmers, January 21, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Analysis of FY 2018 Legal Immigration Statistics, January 13, 2020 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates for the First Three Quarters of FY 2019, October 28, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes, October 10, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: SSA No-Match Letters, October 8, 2019

NFAP Policy Brief: An Analysis of Tariff Costs and Regulatory Savings Under Trump Administration Policies, September 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Updated Analysis of H-1B Denial Rates for First Two Quarters of FY 2019, August 8, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Denial Rates, April 10, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Employer-Paid H-1B Visa Fees, April 1, 2019 | Press Release

New NFAP Policy Toolkit: Immigrant Entrepreneurs and U.S. Immigration Policy, March 23, 2019

NFAP Policy Brief: International Students, STEM OPT and the U.S. STEM Workforce, March 5, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: State Department Visa Refusals in FY 2018 for Immigrants and Nonimmigrants, March 1, 2019 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Billion-Dollar Companies, October 2018 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: U.S.-South Korea Trade, August 2018 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigration, Unemployment and Labor Force Participation, May 2018 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Visas By The Numbers, April 19, 2018 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: NAFTA TN and E Visas, April 4, 2018 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Declining International Student Enrollment at U.S. Universities, February 2018 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Understanding America’s Legal Immigration System, December 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Importance of International Students to American Science and Engineering, October 10, 2017 | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: International Students and STEM OPT, October 10, 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes 1901-2017, October 5, 2017 | Press Release

Study: The Impact of a Point-Based Immigration System on Agriculture and Other Business Sectors, August 2017

NFAP Policy Brief: 7,000 Deaths and Counting, August 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Fixing Prevailing Wage Calculations for High-Skilled Immigrants, June 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: H-1B Visas By The Numbers, June 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Contributions of the Children of Immigrants to Science in America, March 2017 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Policy Recommendations on Employment-Based Immigration for the New President and Congress, January 2017 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Nobel Prizes, October 2016

NFAP Policy Brief: The Real World Impact of Proposed High-Skilled Immigration Restrictions, August 2016

NFAP Policy Brief: Setting the Record Straight on High-Skilled Immigration, August 2016 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Work Visas Better Than A Wall, August 2016 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Impact of the Trump Tariffs on Americans, May 2016 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigrants and Billion Dollar Startups, March 2016 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Startup Visa Proposals and Job Creation, March 2016

NFAP Policy Brief: The World Has Changed Since 1990, U.S. Immigration Policy Has Not, September 2015 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Reforming America’s Legal Immigration System, September 2015

NFAP Policy Brief: Immigration Processing and Executive Action, June 9, 2015 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Trade Promotion Authority, May 2015

NFAP Policy Brief: The Most Misleading Statistic in Immigration, April 2015

NFAP Policy Brief: L-1 Denial Rates Increase Again, March 2015 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: Executive Action and Legal Immigration, September 2014 | Press Release | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief: Illegal Entry Rises, July 2014 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: The Increasing Importance of Immigrants to Science and Engineering in America, June 5, 2014 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief: House and Senate Legislation on High Skill Immigration, June 5, 2014 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Updated Analysis on the Impact of Immigration Legislation on Salaries and Competitiveness, April 2014

NFAP Policy Brief L-1 Denial Rates for High Skill Foreign Nationals Continue to Increase, March 2014 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Analyzing House and Senate Plans for Legalization, January 2014 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief The Importance of International Students to America, July 2013 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Wages and U.S. Competitiveness, June 2013

NFAP Policy Brief NFAP Testimony on High Skill Immigration before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, May 8, 2013 | Webcast of hearing

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B Visas, May 2013 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Analysis of H-1B and L-1 Provisions in Senate Immigration Bill, April 2013

NFAP Policy Brief How Many More Deaths? The Moral Case for a Temporary Worker Program, March 2013 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief The Contributions of Immigrants to Cancer Research in America, February 2013 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Immigration Restrictions and America’s Growing Health Care Needs, November 2012 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Exit Poll Data on the 2012 Election, November 2012

NFAP Policy Brief DOL Threatens Personal and Commercial Privacy, September 2012 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Still Waiting, June 2012 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief The Cost to Americans of Ending Birthright Citizenship, March 2012 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Analysis, February 2012 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief America’s Tradition of Rewarding Talent, December 2011 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Immigrant Founders and Key Personnel in America’s 50 Top Venture-Funded Companies, December 2011 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief L-1 Visa Approvals Decline Significantly at U.S. Posts in India, November 2011 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Keeping Talent in America, October 2011 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Waiting and More Waiting, October 2011 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Reforming America’s Regulations and Policies on Employment-Based Immigration, August 2011 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Reforming the Naturalization Process, August 2011

NFAP Policy Brief We Should Trust, But Not E-Verify, July 2011

NFAP Policy Brief Contributions of the Children of Immigrants in Science, May 2011 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Mandatory H-1B Visa Fees Exceed $3 Billion in Past Decade, March 2011 | Press Release

NFAP Legal Analysis Fee Increase on H-1B Visas Likely Violates U.S. Commitments Under GATS, January 2011 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B Visas and the GAO Report, January 2011

NFAP Study A New Immigrant Entrepreneur Visa Aimed at Job Creation in America, September 2010 | Press Release

NFAP Legal Analysis Proposed Changes to Skilled Worker Visa Laws Likely to Violate Major U.S. Trade Commitments, June 2010 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Death at the Border, May 2010 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Family Immigration, May 2010 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B By The Numbers, March 2010

NFAP Policy Brief Analysis of USCIS Memo on H-1Bs and Third Party Placement, March 2010

NFAP Study Employment-Based Green Card Projections Point to Decade-Long Waits, November 2009 | Press Release

NFAP Study Common Sense, Common Interests, May 2009 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief A Commission to Regulate Immigration?, May 2009

NFAP Policy Brief Higher Taxes, Less Growth, April 2009 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B Visas by the Numbers, March 2009

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B Visas and Financial Institutions,, February 2009

NFAP -Reason Charts Explaining Legal Immigration System

Chart on Legal Immigration 
Chart in Reason Magazine (Oct. 2008 issue)

NFAP Study Certifiable – The Department of Labor’s Approach to Labor Certification, July 2008 | Press Release

NFAP Study Talent Search – Job Openings at S&P 500 Companies, March 2008

NFAP Study H-1Bs and Job Creation, March 2008 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief Foreign-Educated Nurses – A Small But Important Part of the U.S. Health Workforce, October 2007 | Press Release

NFAP Study Deadly Consequences, September 5, 2007 | Press Release

NFAP Study The Point System’s Impact on Foreign Nurses and Other Potential Immigrants, June 4, 2007 | Press Release

NFAP Policy Brief NFAP Policy Brief, June 2007

NFAP Policy Brief H-1B Visas, Outsourcing, Enforcement and U.S. Workers, May 21, 2007 | Press Release | Press Conference Call

NFAP Policy Brief Green Card Delays Worsen for Employment-Based Immigrants, May 2007

NFAP Policy Brief U.S. Company H-1B Fees and Taxes to Support Education, May 2007

NFAP Study Anti-Outsourcing Efforts Down But Not Out, April 2007

NFAP Policy Brief Analysis of Draft Immigration Proposal, April 2007

Press Release, January 25, 2007

NFAP Study CFIUS and Foreign Investment, January 2007

Appendix 1 - SSA Memorandum Changes in Level of Legal Immigration

NFAP Study The Contribution of Legal Immigration to the Social Security System

American Made 2.0 How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Continue to Contribute to the U.S. Economy

Listen to January 25, 2007 NFAP press conference

NFAP Study Driving Jobs and Innovation Offshore | Press Release

Appendix 2 – SSA Memorandum on Effective Taxable Payroll and Immigration


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