Ph. D. and Master's degree graduates from US universities may be given an inside track to US citizenship. Molouk Y. Ba-Isa Saudi Gazette The “STEM Jobs Act of 2012" passed in the US House of Representatives by a 245–139 vote, with more than two dozen Democrats joining with Republicans in support of the bill. The STEM Jobs Act of 2012 aims to help the United States' economy remain globally competitive by increasing the number of immigration visas, commonly called green cards, available for foreign graduates of America's universities who have attained advanced degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM). The STEM Jobs Act of 2012 would provide up to 55,000 permanent resident visas each year to the top foreign graduates of US universities with doctoral degrees in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with any remaining green cards being made available to such graduates with Master's degrees in STEM fields. Candidates for employment under the bill must have received the degree in question from an eligible US university in a STEM field, must have taken all of their course work in the US, must be petitioned for by an employer who has gone through labor certification to show that there are not sufficient willing and available American workers who are as qualified as the foreign applicant for the position in question, and must agree to work for five years for the petitioning employer or in the US in a STEM field. The 55,000 STEM visas would take the place of those currently granted under a “diversity visa" lottery system, which benefits immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the USA. About half of those visas go to African immigrants. The discontinuation of the diversity visa program would mean that a path to the USA for those individuals without relatives already in the country will be halted. Many of the diversity visa applicants come from very poor nations and could never afford a US education. The legislation is not yet approved, and will now move to the US Senate, where again it will be revised and then go to another vote. If it does become law it is a brilliant move and should bring many benefits to the USA. But other nations should be watching the legislation carefully. Countries such as Saudi Arabia could pay for scholarships for students to study abroad and then the best and the brightest of these could become US citizens instead of returning to their home nations. It should be expected that poor nations whose brightest youth are offered scholarships by American universities, will lose those students forever. The American gain will be attained through the pillage of the most brilliant minds from across the developing world. It is a bold move. Instead of granting visas to immigrants who will be shopkeepers and hairdressers, the US will allow companies to add engineers and biochemists to their payrolls – most likely at a lower cost than what would have to be paid to a comparable American with the same education. It will be even better if the advanced degrees for those graduates are subsidized by other governments through scholarships to US universities – in effect, a double win for the US economy. If the bill in the Senate becomes law, it will be a tragedy for very poor nations. But wealthy countries should hold their outrage. For instance, in theory, Saudi Arabia could actually implement an expanded citizenship path, gaining thousands of well educated experienced professionals who already live and work in the Kingdom and want to immigrate. The nation could invest more in R&D creating an environment attractive to returning graduate students. More could be done to enhance the graduate programs at Saudi universities so no need existed to send students abroad on scholarships. Additionally, there is something important to be learned from the proposed legislation. America is the world's richest nation in part due to liberal immigration. Its wealth continues due to the country's ability to attract the best and brightest minds and harness the power of great ideas. The STEM Jobs Act of 2012 is just the latest example of innovative thinking.
