Reforms to US STEM visas will exclude Biosciences

United States, 27th September: Foreign born biosciences graduates are unlikely to get a chance of US permanent residency following US STEM visa reform bills.

At least, that’s what the consensus seems to reveal. As per a US STEM visa bill, a total of up to 55,000 STEM graduates must be allowed to stay and work in the US following successful completion of their graduation in the US.

The STEM visa bill was quite close to clearing almost all the hurdles last week by the US House of Representatives.

But, the consensus seems to be in favor of exclusion of biosciences from for the US STEM visas. That’s because everyone with a STEM degree is not the same, states a senior advisor and a demographer at the Albert P Sloan Foundation, New York City, Michael Teitelbaum.

The bill has been sponsored by Representative Lamar Smith(R-TX).

Stiff job competition led to Biosciences exclusion—Acknowledging the fact that rate of unemployment is already quite high and life scientists have to struggle for jobs, Congress prefers to exclude foreign-born graduates in the field of biosciences from becoming US permanent residents. The recognition of the fact that employment scenario in biomedical sciences is tough is quite encouraging, says an economist at Atlanta’s Georgia State University, Paula Stephan.

Although, it would be going too far to say that the US has high rate of joblessness in the field of biomedical sciences, but there is no denying the fact that the US job market is not encouraging for new doctorates in biomedical sciences, adds Stephan.

She already has discussed the issue in details in her latest book titled ‘How Economics Shapes Science’.

Biosciences exclusion from STEM visa bill—Biomedical community mum—The biomedical community seems to be oblivious of the recent exclusion of this field from the STEM fields. It’s not just unawareness but an indifferent attitude that gives weight to the relatively tough employment scene for life scientists, says Stephan.

The bioscience industry is not having any signs of a booming industry, feels Teitelbaum.

And by exclusion of biosciences from the STEM fields, the message that the US is sending to the world is that foreign students (as well as Americans wanting to study Bioscience) should review their decision keeping in view the employment prospects in this field, reveals Stephan.