US House passes bill for STEM graduate visas
DEC 04, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026583
Chronicle of Higher Education : In a 245-to-139 vote, the US House of Representatives passed the STEM Jobs Act. The bill, opposed by most Democrats in Congress and by the White House, eliminates a diversity program that provides up to 55 000 green card visas for people from countries with low immigration rates. The visas are instead made available for foreign graduates of US universities with advanced degrees in STEM fieldsâmdash;science, technology, engineering, and math. Opposition to the bill comes mostly from the elimination of the diversity program. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) says, “there’s no reason that giving a green card to one person should mean taking one away from someone else.” Because of the lack of Democratic support, the bill is unlikely to make any progress in the Senate.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
