Biden admin unveils visa measures to attract, retain foreign STEM students

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The Biden administration on Friday announced new measures to encourage foreign students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields to come to the U.S. and stay after their degrees are completed -- moves that drew praise from business groups and concern from immigration hawks.

The policy changes come from both the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, with State allowing eligible J-1 students to complete up to 36 months of academic training -- who will also be connected directly with U.S. businesses.

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DHS, meanwhile, will add 22 extra fields of study to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program -- which allows students in STEM fields to remain in the U.S. after they graduate for three years to complete training with an employer.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the moves, noted that they have been long sought after by Big Tech companies in Silicon Valley -- which have also lobbied for the expansion of other programs.

"Today, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are announcing new actions to advance predictability and clarity for pathways for international STEM scholars, students, researchers, and experts to contribute to innovation and job creation efforts across America,"  the White House said in a fact sheet.  "These actions will allow international STEM talent to continue to make meaningful contributions to America’s scholarly, research and development, and innovation communities."

President Joe Biden salutes as he boards Air Force One, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Biden is en route to Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

It is the latest move by the Biden administration to loosen regulations around legal immigrants and temporary visas, in order to encourage what proponents argue will be immigration that allows greater economic growth and research.

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The Chamber of Commerce, which recently called for the doubling of immigration into the U.S., welcomed the announcement from the Biden administration. 

"These targeted actions will help American companies meet their critical workforce needs moving forward and is one of a series of key actions needed to address the workforce shortage crisis," Jon Baselice, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president of immigration policy, said in a statement to the Associated Press. 

"Much more needs to be done to update and modernize our nation’s immigration system, and those types of changes require congressional action," he said.

But immigration hawks warned that the Big Tech-backed proposals would hurt native workers and encourage companies and universities to prioritize foreigners.

RJ Hauman at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which calls for lower levels of immigration overall,  said that the policy proposal was a loss for American students and "a big win for universities that love wealthy foreign students, as well as companies trying to avoid payroll taxes."

He noted the long-standing complaints about the OPT program, which hawks -- including Republicans in Congress -- have pushed to abolish. Those include a lack of requirement to pay a prevailing wage.

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"It’s worth noting that when a foreign worker’s OPT expires, businesses rarely extend an offer of full employment and simply proceed to hire another recent graduate at a high discount," he said.

"American college graduates do not benefit from such a program, especially with an economic crisis that still lingers. American workers — especially recent college graduates — deserve a fair chance at the jobs and wages they deserve."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.