For international students in the US pursuing STEM programmes, President Joe Bidens new immigration proposal will help ease their stay in the country.
The new presidents proposed legislation is a step towards reversing many if not all of former President Donald Trumps immigration policies. Among these policy revisions include making permanent residency of STEM graduates in the US easier, elimination of per country visa caps, and changing US student visa distribution.
The Trump administrations rigid immigration policies that led to a considerable decline in the number of international students going to the US for higher education. With the victory of Biden, experts are predicting that the US image as the top study destination will be restored.
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An F-1 visa lets international students to study in the US after acceptance from an accredited academic institution, provided they are enrolled in a full-time course. Currently, the path for foriegn students in the US to transition from an F-1 visa to permanent residency is complex and unclear.
Last year, the cap for H-1B visas was 65,000. However, new employment visas were suspended by the former President. There is no other way for international students to get permanent residency which further deters US employers from hiring them because of the costly and lengthy process.
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The proposed bill aims at doing away with employment-based immigration backlogs by reducing them altogether and removing the per-country caps. It not only makes it easier for US university graduates with degrees in fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to stay in the States but also gives better access to green cards for low wage sector sectors.
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