REED JOINS HOUSE IN PASSING STEM JOBS ACT TO HELP KEEP ADVANCED DEGREE RECIPIENTS IN THE U.S.; Legislation reallocates up to 55,000 green cards to graduates with advanced STEM degrees

Congressman Tom Reed joined his colleagues today in the House of Representatives to pass the STEM Jobs Act. The legislation reallocates as many as 55,000 green cards each year to foreign graduates of universities in the United States with advanced STEM degrees – degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. Graduates with doctorate degrees will be given priority, followed by those with master’s degrees. 

“With so many students from outside of the U.S. coming to our country to take advantage of our outstanding universities, we should welcome their talents to remain here so that these scholars can become innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators here in our country,” Reed said. “This is an opportunity for us to encourage scholars from around the world to come here to not only receive their advanced degrees, but also add their talents to the Upstate New York and U.S. economy.”

Foreign students hold nearly four out of every ten advanced degrees in STEM fields. This bill will help the United States compete better with global competitors by retaining more graduates with doctoral and master’s degrees in some of our world’s most sought-after fields of study.   

“The way current immigration law stands, many foreign graduates of our universities return home after years of waiting for a green card,” Reed continued. “We are training these students here and then sending them away instead of allowing some of the brightest minds from around the world to create jobs and contribute to our economy. This is a common sense solution to growing our economy.”

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