Overview of the the STEM Jobs Act
STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Press Conference (Photo credit: republicanconference)
Via The House Committee on the Judiciary
“Graduates of American universities in science, technology, engineering, and math – or “STEM” fields – are behind many of the innovations and new businesses that are part of our present and future economic growth. Talented students from around the world contribute to the graduate STEM programs of our universities. Foreign students receive nearly four out of every 10 master’s degrees awarded in STEM fields and about the same percentage of all doctorates.
But our immigration system does not always put American interests first. We have the most generous level of legal immigration in the world but we select only 5% of our immigrants based on the skills and education they bring to America. Although these foreign graduates of U.S. universities in STEM fields are in great demand by American employers, many of them end up on years-long green card waiting lists. And as a result, many of them give up and go to work for one of our global competitors.
In an ever-competitive global economy, we must keep our country as the world’s greatest source of innovation and creativity. The STEM Jobs Act allows employers to fill their talent needs with foreign graduates of U.S. universities with advanced degrees in STEM so that they can continue creating jobs and growing our economy.”
How to Apply to and Study in the United States
Pics from Hyderabad Education Fair-Nov. 7th (Photo credit: EducationUSA International Virtual College Fair)
Via studyinthestates.dhs.gov
The application process in the United States may be very different from applying to a school in your home country. Be sure to read about the process before you begin. To ensure that you properly complete all required application materials, follow the steps below:
1. Choose a school: EducationUSA can help you with information on the process of selecting a school and a program of study in the United States. With over 400 advising centers in 170 countries, EducationUSA represents the largest group of advisers committed to promoting accredited United States higher education institutions to over 14 million students and parents with whom they have contact each year.
All schools that accept F and M students must be certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). With almost 10,000 SEVP-certified schools in the United States, you likely can find a college or university in the state and city of your choice.
2. Receive Acceptance and get a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status”: When you find a school you would like to attend, apply to the school as an international student. Contact school officials directly or visit the school’s website for more information on required application materials. When you have received acceptance into an SEVP-certified school, the designated school official will issue you a Form I-20, which is a paper record of your information stored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Basic Facts about In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrant Students
Via The National Immigration Law Center
Twelve states currently have laws permitting certain undocumented students who have attended and graduated from their primary and secondary schools to pay the same tuition as their classmates at public institutions of higher education. The states are California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington. In addition, Rhode Island’s Board of Governors for Higher Education voted unanimously to provide access to in-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities to certain students, regardless of their immigration status, beginning in 2012.
Related articles
Immigrants may pay in-state tuition under federal program (enterprisenews.com)
USCIS Revising form I-131 Instructions to Include Guidance for recipients’ of Deferred Action under Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ability to Request Advance Parole Under Certain Circumstances
USCIS is revising the form’s instructions to include clear guidance regarding recipients’ of Deferred Action under Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ability to request advance parole documents under certain circumstances as provided under the memorandum issued by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on June 15, 2012, and the implementation guidance that derives from it. USCIS is also reporting an increase in the number of respondents associated with this information collection as DACA recipients that can establish a need to travel outside of the United States based on humanitarian, employment or education reasons will be able to request advance parole documents.
Video Answers: Do Canadian citizens need an I-94 to enter the U.S.?
Video Answers: Do Canadian citizens need an I-94 to enter the U.S.?
ETA 9089 PERM System Down for Several Days – AILA Investigating
The seal of the United States Department of Labor (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Department of Labor has been experiencing technical problems with the PERM system, which still remains unavailable.
U.S. Mission in India Expands Interview Waiver Program
USA B1/B2 Visa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
New Delhi | November 19, 2012
In March of 2012, the United States Mission to India unveiled the Interview Waiver Program (IWP) which allows qualified individuals to apply for additional classes of visas without being interviewed in person by a U.S. consular officer. Following the success of the IWP, as part of continuing efforts to streamline the visa process, and to meet increased visa demand in India, the U.S. Mission is pleased to announce an expansion of the IWP. We expect this expansion to benefit thousands of visa applicants in India.
President Obama optimistic on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
US President Barack Obama (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
An LA Times article covering the President’s optimism on passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President indicated that several Republicans have also acknowledged the need for CIR (ostensibly to court the Latino vote for future elections).
“Obama outlined what he would like to see included in an immigration reform package but did not answer a question about whether he would send a draft of the legislation to Congress to consider.”
200K DACA applications filed so far
English: Official portrait of United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano Español: Retrato oficial de Secretaria de Seguridad Interna de los Estados Unidos Janet Napolitano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Per The Hill: DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano indicates that more than 3,000 have applied for DACA every day, about 200,000 applications overall.
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 
Controversial STEM Jobs Act Proposes to transfer 55,000 visas from Diversity Visa Lottery to Masters and Ph.D. Graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Eligible countries for the Diversity Visa Lottery (Credit: Wikipedia)
The controversial H.R. 6429, otherwise known as the “STEM Jobs Act” (Rep. Smith, R-TX & 68 cosponsors) proposes to create new “V” visa categories for families awaiting reunification as well as visas for Ph.D and Masters graduates in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The Act would, however, eliminate the (poorly implemented) Diversity Visa Lottery program that makes green cards available to certain individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The STEM Jobs Act has made it through the House, but will be almost certainly defeated in the Senate, where Democrats hold both a majority and a soft spot for the Lottery.
The White House, despite having repeatedly highlighted the substantial deficiency the nation faces in the STEM fields, has quickly declared its opposition to the STEM Jobs Act, indicating that it “does not support narrowly tailored proposals that do not meet the President’s long-term objectives with respect to comprehensive immigration reform.” In other words, the Administration wants immigration reform on an ‘all or nothing’ basis. This is more than a little puzzling given that during the latest election cycle, President Obama repeatedly raised the issue of the many difficult decisions necessitated in the short-term so as to invigorate the U.S. economy. This is not one of those difficult decisions.