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President Barack Obama's big speech last night on immigration policy included two nuggets of interest to the research community. They included plans to:
Expand an existing program that enables foreign students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at U.S. universities to remain in the country after graduation to work within their fields. Some 120,000 students, including at least 25,000 in STEM fields, participated in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program in 2013, according to government statistics. OPT currently allows students to work full time for up to 29 months while on a student visa (such visas typically bar employment). The White House plans to 'expand and extend' the program, according to a fact sheet, although the exact rules are not yet worked out.
Make it easier for foreign entrepreneurs to enter the country and establish businesses. The United States already has at least one such program, the O-1 visa program, aimed at attracting immigrants 'who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.' But the White House and both Democratic and Republican legislators have pushed for new visa and residency opportunities for entrepreneurs who have obtained a certain level of financing from U.S. investors or can show existing revenues from U.S. customers. A White House fact sheet says the Department of Homeland Security will be looking to 'expand immigration options for foreign entrepreneurs who meet certain criteria for creating jobs, attracting investment, and generating revenue in the U.S.'
Both moves will 'make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed,' Obama said in his address to the nation.
'Are we a nation that educates the world's best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us?' he added. 'Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs here, create businesses here, create industries right here in America?'
Come back to Science Insider for more on the new policies and reaction to them.
Entities 0 Name: U.S. Count: 4 1 Name: White House Count: 2 2 Name: Republican Count: 1 3 Name: David Count: 1 4 Name: United States Count: 1 5 Name: Department of Homeland Security Count: 1 6 Name: Barack Obama Count: 1 7 Name: America Count: 1 8 Name: Obama Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1uZYHBD Title: High-skilled immigration fixes are just a band-aid Description: As expected, the bulk of the address was related to unauthorized immigrants. But he promised to make it "easier and faster" for high-skilled immigrants, graduates and entrepreneurs to work in the U.S. after graduation. But experts are saying that it's just a band-aid. "The devil is in the details," said Neil G.
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