This is the time of year when Americans pause from our normal routines to give thanks for our many blessings. One of the things we should be thankful for is our Chinese immigrants and the visa programs that allow them to come to America, including EB-1C, E-2, and EB-5. The programs not only open a door of opportunity for the immigrants, but also benefit our American economy through the contribution of their skills and investments.

Many average Americans do not understand the entire immigration picture. The media at large has focused our attention through the lenses of illegal border crossings and refugee crises. However, there is much more to immigration than that. Especially where the Chinese are concerned. Here are some specific things about Chinese immigrants we all should be thankful for.

• Chinese Students. There are more than twice as many Chinese students (329,000) enrolled in American colleges, universities, and graduate schools that foreign national students from all other nations. Not only are these students benefitting from an excellent and highly desirable education, their tuitions help to sustain some of the finest educational institutions in the world.
• 43 percent of those Chinese students are majoring in STEM subject fields. STEM fields have been cited as the field creating the greatest demand for expertise in the immediate and the foreseeable future.
• Chinese Education Achievement.
• Half of all Chinese immigrants have earned a bachelor’s degree. This is significantly greater than the 32 percent of U.S.-born adults.
• 27 percent of Chinese immigrants hold graduate degrees. Compare to only 12 percent of Americans born in the U.S.
• Chinese Assimilation. Recent data indicates that nearly 25% more Chinese immigrants speak English than all other foreign-born residents.
• Chinese Employment. More than 50% of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. held position is management, science and the arts, compared to only 39 percent of U.S. born citizens.
• Chinese Income. 30% fewer Chinese immigrant households (by percentage) live in poverty than households headed by people born in the U.S.
• Chinese EB-5 Investment. There is no doubt that the Chinese investments in USCIS-approved projects have contributed significantly to the U.S. economy.
• EB-5 investments since 2008 have contributed in excess of $21 billion to projects in the U.S.
• EB-5 investment in the first three quarters of 2017 alone exceeded $4.3 billion.
• These represent only investment in projects. Consider also that each investor has contributed to a minimum of 10 new jobs for American workers.

Join us this holiday season being thankful for the contributions of our Chinese immigrants and for all they have contributed to our country. They do not come here to be a burden on us. They come to make a better life. When they do that, they also help to make our lives better.

We give thanks for our Chinese friends. We invite you to join us.