The U.S. House has passed a Republican-led bill on Friday to increase visas for foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities with advanced degrees so as to make it easier for them to stay in the United States.

The bill - also called STEM Act - aims to reallocate 55,000 green cards distributed till now under the Diversity Visa Program to foreign students who earn advanced degrees in the U.S. for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

A group of U.S. House members had on September introduced the bill for comprehensive immigration reform and effectively scrap the Diversity Visa Program enacted in 1990 that allows immigrants to participate in an annual lottery of up to 55,000 U.S. green cards.

The legislation would require foreign nationals to earn their degrees while living in the United States, to commit to staying in the country for at least five years, and to be sponsored by a U.S. employer. It would only apply to students who graduated from accredited U.S. colleges and universities that are at least a decade old, according to a report published in U.S. online news portal nationaljournal.com.

“In a global economy, we cannot afford to educate these foreign graduates in the U.S. and then send them back home to work for our competitors,” House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, who introduced the bill along with 47 House Republicans, told the news portal. “For America to be to the world’s economic leader, we must have access to the world’s best talent.”

The bill would require companies to post STEM job openings on a state workforce agency’s jobs site before seeking foreing graduates for the position. In addition, the STEM visas created by the bill would not be available to students who graduate with advanced degrees in the biological and biomedical fields.

The bill is one of many aimed at addressing the brain drain of students who come to the United States to earn valuable skills at U.S. universities but are forced to leave the country because they can’t obtain a green card or temporary work visa, according to the report in nationaljournal.com. nepalnews.com
 

which degree are inculded and which aren't?

any idea , anyone? where we can find those information, who are qualified and who arn't?

thx in advance.

 well it was time that they do something like that, this country needs quality not quantity.

quantity is less than 55000, around 30000, i think we have an advanced degree, doesn't that speak a quality

do you expect everyone to be rocketscientist?

houstonn, the best way to figure out is through school

u can called the official who usually guides in opt
they knows which r under stem and which arn't
they are provided the list by uscis and they can even claim if your degree is under stem to uscis, but u must be able to justify it

But i dont know the reson why they have excluded biology and biomedical.

dhilai bhayeni ghaito ma gham lagecha...hard working talented students deserve it not uneducated crapy good for nothin dv winners
 

khoi k ho k

This is what immigration-law said. So don't put high hopes in it

11/30/2012: House Passed STEM Jobs Act as Anticipated, 245:139 Majority

Rejecting Rep. Zoe Lofgren's motion to refer the bill to the House Judiciary, the House floor passed this bill. Surprisigly, some Democrats joined the Republicans in passing this bill. However, the chance for this bill in the Democratic Senate is grim. Besides, should this bill pass both Houses, the President may veto this bill.
It could have been interesting if the Senate would have passed it with amendment deleting the part eliminating diversity immigration lottery program and toss it back to the House. However, even this hypothetical scenario will not work since the Lame Duck Congress will shut down after December 14, 2012 and this Congress will sunset at the end of the year with the death of tons of unresolved pending bills.

politics and politicians are same everywhere,
they will promise for the bridge where the bridge arnt needed

you have to expect the unexpected
lets keep the fingers crossed and wished all ppl waiting for the GC goodluk

 Read this from wikipedia"in December 2005, the United States House of Representatives voted 273-148 to add an amendment to the border enforcement bill H.R. 4437 abolishing the DV. Opponents of the lottery said it was susceptible to fraud and was a way for terrorists to enter the country. The Senate never passed the bill.

The terrorist Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, an immigrant from Egypt, a country not on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, was among the beneficiaries of the program.^[10] A 2007 GAO report stated: “In 2003, State’s Inspector General raised concerns that aliens from countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism can apply for diversity visas. Nearly 9,800 persons from these countries have obtained permanent residency in the United States through the program. We found no documented evidence that DV immigrants from these, or other, countries posed a terrorist or other threat.”^[11] Immigrants coming to the United States in the other LPR visa categories are not restricted if they come from these same countries and ... background checks for national security risks are performed on all prospective immigrants seeking to come to the United States^[12]

In March 2007, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced H.R. 1430, which would eliminate the diversity visa program. In June 2007, the U.S. House passed H.R. 2764 to eliminate funding for the program, and the Senate did likewise in September.^[13] However, the final version of this bill with amendments, signed into law on December 26, 2007, did not include the removal of funds for the program. Several attempts have been made over the last several years to eliminate the lottery. Although H.R. 2764 was an appropriation bill and could only cut funds for the lottery during one fiscal year, this was the first time that both the House and the Senate passed a bill to halt the diversity visa program. H.R. 2764

Rep. Goodlatte reintroduced his Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act (formerly H.R. 1430, now H.R. 2305) on May 7, 2009. The bill would have amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program completely, but did not pass.

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced the Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009 (H.R. 264) on January 7, 2009. The bill would have doubled the number of diversity visas available to 110,000 yearly. The bill did not pass.^[14]

kc bro time will tell wht willbe law and wht will be just bill. cross the finger for better results.

 Hello,

Here is the composite list of program/degree that are categories under STEM: http://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/stem-list.pdf. Alternatively, you can check your CIP ( Classification of Instructional Programs) in your I-20: http://redbus2us.com/what-is-cip-code-its-importance-for-17-month-opt-extension-find-it-on-i20/.

Hope this helps to people who are looking for STEM and their degree.

Nothing but bunch of BS from racist rupublicans..Republicans have been trying to kill the diversity program for years now. Every time they come up with new arguments. Now its the Higer Degree replacement bullshit. Why do you need to scrap the Diversity Lottery to make talented foreigners get their GC??? If those Racist republicans were so serious about keeping the higher degree folks here in US why not just let them qualify without a ZERO SUM game.

Is USA just for the educated and the talented person? Can;t a less educated person dream of coming to USA. What other way is there for a poor and uneducated person to dream about USA??? Republicans just want to kill the diversity program first then open up Higher degree visa program with half the number and couple years later they can say we have enough with higher degree program and scrap the whole Higher degree visa all at once. Its much more easier to kill the Higher Degree visa bill than a Diversity Visa lottery.

I say leave the diversity visa alone and let the spirit of "anyone can come to USA" alive and if you really want to keep the higher degree earners here...create a new visa quota.

this is somewhat correct
THe main reason they want to scrap the diversity visa is they always think of collection,

this deciding factor in obama election was the vote from the minorities, more than 70 percent minorities voted for obama

 L.I.B.

This bill will not be passed in Senate. Period.
House=>Republicans
Senate=>Democrats

what you have said is correct , house and senate are majored by diff parties

but the question is all republican will vote in favor or not
its not like in nepal where party will have guidelines and all have to follow and if not will be taken disiciplianry action
here senator and congreess man goes beyond party line if they are correct in their terms

so lets see , time will unfold the event

This bill will not pass in senate.  Democrats are not interested in this bill, they are interested in comprehensive immigration reform.  This is just a bargaining strategy by republicans when democrats propose comprehensive immigration reform bill next year. 

hopefully they will get more votes in next election

I don't see much change even if this bill is passed. It has the same string attached currently in place i.e. have to have a job to apply for GC.

So, where is the benefit? Non-stem majors can also get GC via employment.