Senate Bills Would Ease Foreign Researchers Remaining in U.S.

May 31, 2012

Two bills introduced in the U.S. Senate would enable more foreign-born researchers to remain in the U.S. after being trained in the sciences at American universities. The SMART Jobs Act (bill number not yet assigned), proposed by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Chris Coons (D-DE), would offer STEM graduate students a new visa category and a clear route to a permanent residency “green card” once employed.  Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) proposed STAR Act (bill number not yet assigned) would offer green cards to STEM graduates from institutions that receive $5 million or more in federal research grants.

Links:
SMART Jobs Act
STAR Act