House Passes Visa Bill for Foreign Graduates, Over Democrats' Objections

By Michael Stratford. The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation that would reallocate up to 55,000 green cards to foreign graduates of American research universities who receive advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
The bill, called the STEM Jobs Act, was approved by a 245-to-139 vote. The measure would eliminate an existing "diversity visa" program that currently provides 55,000 visas a year to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Under the legislation, those visas would be redirected to highly educated graduates. The bill would create a new category of visas specifically for foreign students who graduate from an American research university with a doctorate or master's degree in a STEM field.
Proponents of the bill, which included nearly all House Republicans and 27 Democrats, said the new program was essential for economic growth and maintaining the nation's global competitiveness because it would keep highly trained, in-demand workers in the United States. Read more...