Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the controversial STEM Jobs Act (H.R. 6429), a Republican-backed measure that was approved by a 245-139 vote. In addition to offering a limited number of visas for family reunification through the creation of new “V” visa categories, the bill would provide up to 55,000 immigrant visas per year for foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). To do so, the legislation proposes to eliminate the longstanding Diversity Visa Program, which awards the same number of immigrant visas annually to applicants from countries that are under-represented in the U.S. immigration system.
Proponents of the bill included the majority of House Republicans and 27 House Democrats. They advocate that the STEM Jobs Act is critical for economic growth and believe that it will enable the U.S. to maintain its competitive advantage by retaining highly skilled and sought after STEM graduates within our borders.
Most Democrats and the Obama Administration oppose the bill in part because it would cut the Diversity Visa Program which they deem valuable to the American immigration system and to the country as a whole. The White House also opposes the bill because it “does not support narrowly tailored proposals that do not meet the President’s long-term objectives with respect to comprehensive immigration reform.”
The bill is also opposed by NAFSA: The Association of International Educators. In a press statement, the group announced that it opposes the STEM Jobs Act because “it perpetuates a divisive, us-versus-them approach to immigration reform.” Although the group supports the creation of visas for foreign graduates of U.S. institutions of higher education, it does “not support creating a new path for international students by eliminating another immigration program.
The STEM Jobs Act is not expected to progress in the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority. Please refer back to our blog for updates on the STEM Jobs Act and other pieces of proposed immigration legislation.