US Hopes New Immigration Changes Will Attract STEM Talent

New immigration policy changes

In an effort to revamp the U.S.’s immigration system to attract more foreign-born talent, the Biden-Harris administration recently announced their plans for changes in their immigration policy which will soon be implemented by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The new changes primarily focus on attracting more experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or (STEM). In addition, it also updates its exceptional ability criteria for the O-1 visa, a nonimmigrant visa for individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.

The Biden-Harris administration hopes these changes will attract more global talent and in turn strengthen the economy by giving the United States a competitive advantage in the fields of technological and scientific innovation and thus foster the creation of more jobs.

What Are The Changes?

The new updated immigration policies mainly focus on attracting innovative talent who possess expertise in the STEM field to either work or immigrate to the United States. Some policy changes will include the following:

• The criteria for National Interest Waivers for employment-based Green Cards is now updated to include individuals with advanced degrees in STEM fields and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, these individuals can include letters from governmental and quasi-governmental entities in their visa applications.
• The criteria for an O-1A Visa (Individuals with extraordinary ability) is now updated to include Ph.D. holders in STEM fields who may submit evidence that is of comparable significance to that criterion to establish sustained acclaim and recognition if they are unable to demonstrate that a particular criterion does not readily apply to their occupation.
• Students in the United States under a J1 US Hopes New Immigration Changes Will Attract STEM Talent Visa (for Exchange Visitors) who are undergraduate and pre-doctoral degree-seeking university students in STEM-related subjects may be eligible for the ‘Early Career STEM Research Initiative’. This program will allow students to engage in academic training and research in the STEM field for a period of up to 36 months.
• International students who are in the United States studying STEM under an F1 Student Visa will be allowed to remain in the United States for a period of up to 36 months for the purposes of completing their Optional Practical Training (OPT) after earning their degrees. The students will have a choice of 22 new fields of study now included in the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program available through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

How Can IAS Help?

If you are a foreign national who has a background in STEM and would like to come to the United States for work or to start a new life, we are here to help. Our team of expert immigration attorneys stays up-to-date with all the recent changes to the U.S. immigration system helping us to assess your eligibility and provide you with the right immigration route for coming to the United States.

To find out more about how we can best help you, give us a call at +1 844 290 6312 or leave a message online and we will get back to you.