Visa restrictions do nothing to help US
I grew up like many of you, attending public school in the United States, being taught how unique and lucky we were to live in “a nation of immigrants.”
I now know a bit more about the complicated history of immigration in the United States and its implications for indigenous people and those brought to this country against their will.
However, I’m ultimately grateful these multicultural ideals were instilled in me at a young age. It prepared me for a career in biomedical research, where I’m surrounded by brilliant colleagues from all around the world and where we strive for the dissemination of ideas and dialogue irrespective of borders.
Completely contradictory to these American values, the Trump administration recently announced a policy to strip international college students of their visas if their fall coursework was to be entirely online. While this order was rescinded for students already in the United States, it highlights the precarious position international community members are in. This order also followed on the heels of devastating restrictions of high-skilled worker visas.
Ultimately, even if they aren’t implemented, simply articulating these policies undercuts our ability to compete on the global stage, hurts our struggling economy and impacts members of our international community. As scientists, we recognize the value international colleagues and friends bring to society, and we decry these steps to close the United States from the rest of the world.
Since its founding, the United States has thrived on the innovation and creativity of the world’s brightest minds. This is especially evident in basic science research. Immigrants to the United States have received 35% of the Nobel prizes awarded to Americans in chemistry, medicine and
physics since 1901. Studies have shown that immigrant scientists have greater scientific impact and productivity.
Over half of America’s billion-dollar startups have been founded by immigrants, many first arriving as international students. With 46% percent of
U.S. employers reporting talent shortages in 2018, American industries rely on international workers to fill these positions and remain competitive. Yet we are squandering our chances for excellence. The number of international students and scholars in the U.S. is down 6% since 2001, and the restrictions from the Trump administration threaten America’s standing as a destination for global talent.
Especially now, as our economy is in
a serious downturn due to the COVID19 pandemic, it is not the time to put our economy at greater risk by turning away international students and workers. In 2018, international students alone contributed an estimated $41 billion to the U.S. economy with almost half a million jobs supported.
These policies have wide-reaching consequences. According to the National Science Foundation, 55% of postdoctoral researchers and 28% of faculty are international. U.S. institutions award over half of advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math to international students. As we race to find treatments and vaccines for the novel coronavirus, we are counting on talented international researchers to achieve these goals.
There are not only economic factors to consider. These policies, at their root, disregard the humanity of international students and workers. International scholars and workers make significant social and financial investments to study or work in the United States. This is after making it through the grueling and competitive process of being granted a visa. For example, in 2019 only about 32% of applicants were awarded an H1B visa. After the restrictions to high-skilled worker visas in June, many scientists described the immense stress and anxiety they face as they work to navigate the uncertainties.
Hostile visa policies and anti-immigrant rhetoric are ultimately pushing students and workers away from the United States as a research destination. Just the other day, one of my mentees, originally from Mexico and one of the most accomplished undergraduate students I’ve ever met, anxiously asked me whether it was even worth her applying to Ph.D. programs in the United States or if she should just apply to programs in the United Kingdom. These policies are absolutely devastating to those already sacrificing so much to study or work in the United States.
We were heartened to see universities and states move quickly to sue the Trump administration over the changes to international student visa guidelines, but we call on them to push back even more against all of this administration’s xenophobic policies. American citizens can contact their local lawmakers to have them fight these restrictions and push to support and expand our international student population and workforce. Finally, citizens can vote this fall for leaders who will make it easier for international students and workers to come to come to the United States, feel welcomed and make an impact.