Businessinsider.com: A recently released report by the Partnership for New American Economy and the Partnership for New York City laid out several reasons as to why U.S. needs to work harder on luring high skilled immigrants.
We called this issue a “no brainer” last year, and it seems that the government is also catching up. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas republican, has proposed that the U.S. add 55,000 green cards for “foreign students who earn graduate degrees from U.S. universities,” reports Matt O’Brien for San Jose Mercury News. Currently out of 85,00 such visas issued annually, only 20,000 are set aside for foreign students.
This proposal comes shortly after Sillicon Valley technology firms have tripled their request for temporary H-1B visas for skilled workers since recruiting period started in April. Turns out that U.S. is in real need of STEM–Science, Technology, Engineering, Math- workers. O’Brien reports that in 2007 and 2008, the 65,000 visas ran out within few days. While last year the demand for such visas was only 10,200, this year it’s already hit 32,500.
Categories: Americas, Immigration, Knowledge, United Arab Emirates
I agree that the US should grant visas to people who will boost the country’s intellectual economy. I also feel that it should be easier for people to join their families in the US. A few months ago, I read that visa processing fees for students have slightly increased, but fees for family visas have decreased. I hope this slight increase for students doesn’t present a hardship for too many. However, as an American citizen who is currently filing for US visa application from Thailand for my Muslim/Sudanese husband, I’m happy that K visa fees went down. Our daughter is also an American citizen, and it seems that my husband is an ideal candidate for an American visa. All we want is to move as a family and let my husband work hard to help support us; something that he can’t currently do well but wishes to do very badly.