Epaper
Congressmen have introduced a legislation in the US House of Representatives, which if passed into law, would give fast track green card or legal permanent residency to those having a Masters or PhD degree from a US university in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Students from India and China, who account for the significantly large number of the foreign students studying in Masters and PhD courses in US universities, are likely to be the largest beneficiary of this legislation if passed into law in coming months.
Introduced in the House of Representatives, May 13 by the Californian Congresswoman, Zoe Lofgren, the main objective of the legislation is to retain the large pool of talent – specially from India and China – who come to study here and thus maintain the competitive edge over these two countries in the field of science, technology and mathematics.
A seven time Congresswoman from California, Lofgren is Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. As such the chances of getting this legislation passed are much greater.
The legislation, which has referred to the House Committee on Judiciary for necessary action, has been co-sponsored by 19 lawmakers from both Democrats and Republicans. Prominent among them include Joseph Crowley, Mike Honda, Patrick Kennedy, Jim McDermott, George Miller, and Linda Sanchez.
The legislation proposes that those with Masters and PhDs from a US University in the field of science, technology and math and having a firm job offer from an American employee would not have to wait long lines.
Such legislation would come as a major relief to Indian and Chinese immigrants in particular as the green card waiting period, specially for them at present runs into several years – six to seven years on an average.
Official studies reveal that more than 50 percent of the graduates from US universities in Masters and PhD programs in science and engineering are foreign born. Of them, India tops the list.
”If we want our economy to continue competing in the global market, we have to retain these foreign students so they compete with us instead of against us in other countries. These men and women are the innovators of tomorrow, and we aren’t the only ones looking to retain their talents,’ said Lofgren, who represents Lofgren represents most of the city of San Jose and Santa Clara county, California, in House of Representatives.
”Increasingly, employers from Europe, Australia, Canada, and even China and India, are beating US employers for valuable talent,” she said.
In 2000, for example, 75 percent of the world’s engineers were hired by US employers and six years later in 2006, that percentage dropped to 63 percent. ”This legislation will give US employers another tool to recruit the world’s best and brightest,” she said.
While, several legislations in the past have been put forth to retain the science and maths talent within the country, this is possibly for the first time that such a specific proposal has been tabled in the Congress. In the H-1B visa category, the Congress has approved for an additional 20,000 quota for those having Masters or higher degree from a US university.