Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) today introduced bipartisan legislation designed to improve U.S. technological competitiveness by allowing foreigners who graduate from U.S. universities with advanced degrees in high tech fields to obtain green cards if they have jobs waiting for them here in the U.S.

Senator Boxer said, “Ensuring that the U.S. is competitive in technology means making sure that future innovators are putting their knowledge to work here, not competing against us abroad.  The best way to do that is to offer greencards to those foreign graduates with career opportunities in the U.S.  I am proud to work with Senator Gregg to help keep America’s economy at the forefront of technological innovation.”

Senator Gregg said, “Our top-notch universities are the envy of the world, and are educating future generations that will lead in research and business. Unfortunately, current visa restrictions encourage highly skilled foreign graduates from America’s universities to eventually leave for China, India, or other countries, where they will use their first-class educations to create innovation, jobs, and economic growth elsewhere.  This brain drain undermines our competitive advantage in the global economy, which is a shame since their degrees often come from institutions that receive U.S. taxpayer funding.  It is critical we work to retain these talented individuals so they can help create economic opportunity here at home.  For this reason I am pleased to join Senator Boxer on this bill to help us hold on to highly skilled graduates from our universities so they can lend their knowledge to our nation’s interests, not to those overseas.”

According to the American Society of Engineering Education, more than 1 out 3 master’s degrees and more than half of all PhDs in engineering awarded in the U.S. go to foreign national students.  American-educated scientists and engineers often end up seeking work in their home countries or places like India and China not because of a lack of job opportunities in the United States, but because of the limited number of work visas available to foreign nationals.

The Boxer-Gregg legislation would allow graduates from U.S. universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math to obtain green cards without waiting in long lines, provided they have job offers from U.S. employers.

U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren has introduced companion legislation in the House with bipartisan support.

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