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Recently, the Biden-Harris administration of the United States announced actions toSpeed ​​up visa processing for university graduates with job offers, which sends a positive signal to potential international students.

The move to relax employment-based non-immigrant visas for international students who graduate from U.S. universities is aimed at attracting top talent and retaining skilled workers to boost the U.S. economy.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official website

“The United States needs to hire more international graduates. Our society is aging, birth rates are declining, and many of our own citizens are choosing not to pursue degrees in STEM, healthcare and service fields,” said Alan Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE).

He added: “This new policy could be an important step forward in the United States’ efforts to attract skilled graduates by streamlining the visa process and providing clear guidelines for waivers to retain top talent and strengthen our workforce.”

As part of the new initiative,The U.S. State Department on July 15 provided clear guidance to consular officials on when they should consider granting waivers to certain applicants, streamlining the application process and thereby speeding up the issuance of work visas.

A non-immigrant work visa, also known as an H1B visa, allows an individual to work in the United States for three years through employer sponsorship, which can be extended for three years thereafter.

"Currently, the process for obtaining an employment-based immigrant visa can be quite cumbersome. For international students who want to stay in the United States, they have to bear the high tuition costs, long application wait times and visa caps set by the government, and there has never been a clear guaranteed path," Goodman said.

Goodman said that while the reform will speed up the process of getting jobs to graduates, a major problem with H1B visas is that not enough are issued.

In fiscal year 2024, approximately 781,000 H1B visa applications were submittedThe Immigration Bureau drew a total of approximately 111,000 valid registrations, with a rough winning rate of 14.2% and a valid winning rate of 14.6%.

Since 2004,The U.S. Congress has set a cap of 65,000 people per year, plus an additional 20,000 exemptions for master's and doctoral degree holders, meaning a total of only 85,000 people can ultimately receive H1B work visas each year.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official website

Since the H1B visa announcement, the Department of Homeland Security has also added environmental/natural resource economics to the list of STEM subjects, allowing international students in this field to be eligible to extend their one-year OPT work program for two years.

These measures will help increase the popularity of the United States as a study abroad destination and provide more opportunities for international students who are eager to enhance their employability through overseas work experience.

"We've seen this play out in many countries over the last 20 years," said Ben Waxman, Intead's chief executive. "Where job opportunities increase, school enrollment increases."

In addition, policy changes in other major study abroad destinations have also had a significant impact on the popularity of the United States.

Canada and Australia, for example, have already implemented caps on international student numbers, and the UK's new Labour government has confirmed its commitment to welcoming international students, but the previous government's family ban continues to affect enrolments.

▌Disclaimer: This article was originally edited by Study Abroad Cafe. Please indicate the source if you reprint it.

▌Source: US Immigration Service official website, Pie News

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