Dive Summary:
- The House will vote Friday on the STEM Jobs Act, which would provide as many as 55,000 green cards a year to foreign students graduating from U.S. colleges and universities in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
- The bill will likely win the approval of House Republicans and a Democratic minority but is expected to be halted in the Senate, and the White House is reportedly opposed to it since it does away with the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which made 50,000 visas available to people from nations with low immigration rates.
- 140,000 employment-based visas are already offered to a wide range of people, including lower-skilled workers, college graduates and people in the arts, education and athletics.
From the article:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A House vote to offer permanent residency to foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in science and math from U.S. colleges and universities is setting the stage for a bigger battle next year on how to redesign the nation's flawed immigration system. House Republicans, with the help of a minority of Democrats, are expected to prevail Friday in passing the STEM Jobs Act, which would provide up to 55,000 green cards a year to those earning masters and doctoral degrees from U.S. schools in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. ...