Who Should Care: This report is particularly relevant for Chinese business executives and investors planning US expansion via L-1 intracompany transfer or EB-1C multinational executive green cards. It also informs EB-5 investors evaluating regional centers and economic impact.

What the Report Shows: The American Immigration Council’s latest data reveals immigrants in Ohio earned $27.3 billion in income and contributed $7.3 billion in taxes in 2023 alone. Immigrants fill critical roles across industries, strengthening local workforces and stimulating economic growth. This challenges outdated stereotypes and supports the narrative that immigrant executives and investors bring tangible economic benefits.

From our practical experience, emphasizing such economic contributions in L-1 and EB-1C petitions can resonate well with USCIS officers. For example, when submitting an EB-1C petition, including local economic data that shows how the executive’s role supports job creation and tax revenue can strengthen the "substantial business" requirement under 8 CFR §204.5(j)(3)(i).

Action Plan:

  1. 1Compile local/state economic data similar to the Ohio report relevant to your target US city or region. Use this to demonstrate your company’s role in job creation and tax contributions.
  2. 2For L-1 petitions, prepare detailed organizational charts showing how the executive’s transfer strengthens the US entity’s workforce and business operations—highlighting critical roles immigrants fill.
  3. 3EB-5 investors should consider projects in areas with demonstrated immigrant workforce impact, which may signal stronger economic viability. This aligns with USCIS’s focus on economic stimulation per 8 CFR §204.6.

Case Example: Last quarter, a fintech client applying for EB-1C in New York incorporated similar economic impact data, including tax contributions and job numbers from local immigrant populations. This helped preempt an RFE regarding the "managerial/executive capacity" and business viability, contributing to approval within 5 months.

What This Means for You: Leveraging localized immigrant economic impact data can make your immigration petitions more compelling and reduce the risk of RFEs. Start gathering such data now, coordinate with your HR and finance teams to document workforce composition, and integrate these facts into your petition narratives.

In sum, immigrant workforce contributions are not just statistics—they are powerful evidence of your business’s value to the US economy. Using these insights strategically can improve your chances in L-1, EB-1C, and EB-5 processes.