A Latecomer’s Advantage: The Attainments of Older Child Immigrants

Abstract

Childhood immigrants arrive in the United States (U.S.) at different ages, each with a distinct set of skills. Previous research emphasizes the importance of early immigration in language acquisition and its subsequent effect on education and labor market outcomes. This study investigates whether migration timing has differential effects when considering other skills, specifically initial education quality. Using U.S. data of 322,328 childhood immigrants prior to 2018, we find that delayed childhood immigration from top-scoring countries in academic testing can mitigate the disadvantages associated with language acquisition. Our results suggest that children from topscoring, non-English-speaking countries appear to benefit most from later migration. Specifically, male immigrants gain an additional 2.57 years of U.S. education, while females gain 0.33 years. These additional years of education correspond to subsequent higher wages. Our study suggests a revaluation of policies, particularly regarding “late child immigrants” arriving from high-PISAscoring countries, as those individuals may achieve higher educational and income levels than previously anticipated.