International Students Remain A Primary Source Of U.S. Tech Talent
By Stuart Anderson
8/21/2021
The U.S. economy, technology companies and American universities owe a debt to international students. Without international students, the United States would have far fewer graduate students and other highly-educated individuals with backgrounds in science and engineering, and an even more significant talent gap between economic demand and the ability to fill that demand. That is the conclusion of a new analysis of education data from the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).
A significant warning sign in the data: The number of full-time international students enrolled in graduate-level electrical engineering at U.S. universities declined 19.5% between 2015 and 2019. The number of full-time international students enrolled in graduate-level computer and information sciences at U.S. universities fell 9.5% between 2016 and 2019. The decline is before the impact on enrollment of the U.S. policy blocking many Chinese graduate students from the United States, as well as the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Between 50% and 82% of the full-time graduate students in key technical fields at U.S. universities are international students. Ominously, most of the graduate students are from India and China—two countries where U.S. policies are preventing or discouraging individuals from studying in America. International students from India in graduate-level computer science and engineering at U.S. universities dropped by more than 25% between the 2016-17 and 2018-19 academic years. A Trump proclamation kept in place by the Biden administration is leading to visa denials for many Chinese graduate students, alarming U.S. analysts, universities and employers.
Table 1: Full-time Graduate Students and the Percent of International Students by Field (2019)
| Field | Percent of International Students | International Students (Graduate Students) | U.S. Students (Graduate Students) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Engineering | 82% | 803 | 181 |
| Electrical Engineering | 74% | 26,343 | 9,083 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 72% | 44,786 | 17,334 |
| Industrial and Manufact. Engineering | 71% | 6,554 | 2,632 |
| Statistics | 70% | 5,497 | 2,406 |
| Economics | 67% | 8,023 | 4,049 |
| Civil Engineering | 61% | 8,775 | 5,527 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 58% | 11,215 | 8,130 |
| Agricultural Economics | 58% | 766 | 564 |
| Mathematics and Applied Math | 56% | 9,902 | 7,876 |
| Chemical Engineering | 54% | 4,590 | 3,975 |
| Metallurgical/Materials Engineering | 53% | 2,981 | 2,671 |
| Materials Sciences | 52% | 713 | 660 |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | 50% | 1,790 | 1,827 |
Source: National Science Foundation Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, Public Use Microdata files, National Foundation for American Policy. U.S. students include lawful permanent residents. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
“At U.S. universities, foreign nationals account for 82% of the full-time graduate students in petroleum engineering, 74% in electrical engineering, 72% in computer and information sciences, 71% in industrial and manufacturing engineering, 70% in statistics, 67% in economics, 61% in civil engineering, 58% in mechanical engineering and agricultural economics, 56% in mathematics, 54% in chemical engineering, 53% in metallurgical and materials engineering, 52% in materials sciences and 50% in pharmaceutical sciences,” according to the NFAP study, which analyzed data from the National Science Foundation.
International Students Likely Keep Many Programs Available for U.S. Students: At many U.S. universities, it is unlikely important graduate programs would be available for American students without the tuition, research assistants and economies of scale provided by international students. “In electrical engineering, the majority of full-time graduate students (master’s and Ph.D.’s) are international students at 88% of the U.S. graduate school programs with at least 30 students, or 149 U.S. universities total,” reports NFAP. “In computer and information sciences, the majority of full-time graduate students are international students at 211 universities, representing 78% of the U.S. graduate school programs with at least 30 students.”
Table 2: U.S. University Graduate Programs with a Majority of International Students (2019)
| Field | U.S. Universities with More Than 50% International Students in Graduate School Program | Percentage of U.S. Universities with a Majority of International Students in Graduate School Program |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical (and Electronics and Commercial) Engineering | 149 | 88% |
| Industrial/Manufact. Engineering | 65 | 86% |
| Economics | 86 | 80% |
| Statistics | 60 | 79% |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 211 | 78% |
| Civil Engineering | 93 | 76% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 101 | 67% |
| Metallurgical and Materials Eng. | 36 | 63% |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | 29 | 63% |
| Chemical Engineering | 55 | 61% |
| Mathematics/Applied Math. | 83 | 54% |
Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, National Foundation for American Policy calculations. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
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Computer and Information Sciences: In the last two decades, international students have played a critical role in filling the demand for high-level technical talent in America. “Between 1998 and 2019, the annual number of full-time international graduate students in computer and information sciences increased by 310%, from 10,930 in 1998 to 44,786 in 2019,” according to the NFAP report. “In comparison, over the same period, the annual number of full-time U.S. graduate students in computer and information sciences increased by 91%, from 9,042 in 1998 to 17,334 in 2019.” (The designation computer and information sciences encompasses what previously included computer sciences.)
Table 3: Computer and Information Sciences (Full-time Graduate Students, 1998 to 2019)
Page 1 of 2
| Year | U.S. Students | International Students | Percent International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9,042 | 10,930 | 54.7% |
| 1999 | 9,939 | 12,748 | 56.2% |
| 2000 | 9,630 | 16,928 | 63.7% |
| 2001 | 10,164 | 19,923 | 66.2% |
| 2002 | 11,919 | 20,660 | 63.4% |
| 2003 | 12,744 | 17,964 | 58.5% |
| 2004 | 12,719 | 16,443 | 56.4% |
| 2005 | 12,226 | 16,091 | 56.8% |
| 2006 | 11,959 | 16,801 | 58.4% |
| 2007 | 11,814 | 18,268 | 60.7% |
| 2008 | 11,684 | 19,654 | 62.7% |
| 2009 | 12,113 | 20,085 | 62.4% |
| 2010 | 12,072 | 20,710 | 63.2% |
| 2011 | 11,579 | 21,282 | 64.8% |
| 2012 | 11,534 | 22,574 | 66.2% |
| 2013 | 11,481 | 27,787 | 70.8% |
| 2014 | 12,232 | 39,837 | 76.5% |
| 2015 | 12,539 | 45,790 | 78.5% |
| 2016 | 13,854 | 49,507 | 78.1% |
| 2017 | 13,224 | 42,982 | 76.5% |
Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, National Foundation for American Policy calculations. U.S. students include lawful permanent residents. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Table 3: Computer and Information Sciences (Full-time Graduate Students, 1998 to 2019)
Page 2 of 2
| Year | U.S. Students | International Students | Percent International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15,904 | 41,885 | 72.5% |
| 2019 | 17,334 | 44,786 | 72.1% |
Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, National Foundation for American Policy calculations. U.S. students include lawful permanent residents. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
In computer and information sciences, international students represent 80% of the full-time graduate students at Rice University, 67% at UCLA, 76% at North Carolina State, 70% at LSU, 77% at George Mason University, 61% at Vanderbilt, 56% at West Virginia University and 72% at Virginia Tech.
Electrical Engineering: The story is similar, if more pronounced, in electrical engineering. “The annual number of full-time U.S. graduate students in electrical engineering increased by only 12% over the past 21 years, from 8,139 in 1998 to 9,083 in 2019. Over the same period, the annual number of full-time international graduate students in electrical engineering increased by 130%, from 11,469 in 1998 to 26,343 in 2019.”
Table 4: Electrical Engineering (Full-time Graduate Students, 1998 to 2019)
Page 1 of 2
| Year | U.S. Students | International Students | Percent International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8,139 | 11,469 | 58.5% |
| 1999 | 7,595 | 12,926 | 63.0% |
| 2000 | 7,253 | 15,709 | 68.4% |
| 2001 | 7,750 | 17,490 | 69.3% |
| 2002 | 8,654 | 19,586 | 69.4% |
| 2003 | 9,601 | 19,328 | 66.8% |
| 2004 | 8,792 | 17,940 | 67.1% |
| 2005 | 8,790 | 17,059 | 66.0% |
| 2006 | 8,696 | 18,683 | 68.2% |
| 2007 | 8,448 | 20,628 | 70.9% |
| 2008 | 8,486 | 20,726 | 71.0% |
| 2009 | 8,362 | 20,920 | 71.4% |
| 2010 | 8,904 | 21,073 | 70.3% |
| 2011 | 8,802 | 21,933 | 71.4% |
| 2012 | 8,278 | 23,248 | 73.7% |
| 2013 | 8,130 | 26,530 | 76.5% |
| 2014 | 7,925 | 31,943 | 80.1% |
| 2015 | 7,783 | 32,736 | 80.8% |
| 2016 | 7,758 | 30,400 | 79.7% |
| 2017 | 8,108 | 28,096 | 77.6% |
Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, National Foundation for American Policy calculations. U.S. students include lawful permanent residents. This includes full-time graduate students in electrical, electronic and communications engineering. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Table 4: Electrical Engineering (Full-time Graduate Students, 1998 to 2019)
Page 1 of 2
| Year | U.S. Students | International Students | Percent International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8,139 | 11,469 | 58.5% |
| 1999 | 7,595 | 12,926 | 63.0% |
| 2000 | 7,253 | 15,709 | 68.4% |
| 2001 | 7,750 | 17,490 | 69.3% |
| 2002 | 8,654 | 19,586 | 69.4% |
| 2003 | 9,601 | 19,328 | 66.8% |
| 2004 | 8,792 | 17,940 | 67.1% |
| 2005 | 8,790 | 17,059 | 66.0% |
| 2006 | 8,696 | 18,683 | 68.2% |
| 2007 | 8,448 | 20,628 | 70.9% |
| 2008 | 8,486 | 20,726 | 71.0% |
| 2009 | 8,362 | 20,920 | 71.4% |
| 2010 | 8,904 | 21,073 | 70.3% |
| 2011 | 8,802 | 21,933 | 71.4% |
| 2012 | 8,278 | 23,248 | 73.7% |
| 2013 | 8,130 | 26,530 | 76.5% |
| 2014 | 7,925 | 31,943 | 80.1% |
| 2015 | 7,783 | 32,736 | 80.8% |
| 2016 | 7,758 | 30,400 | 79.7% |
| 2017 | 8,108 | 28,096 | 77.6% |
Source: National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, National Foundation for American Policy calculations. U.S. students include lawful permanent residents. This includes full-time graduate students in electrical, electronic and communications engineering. Get the data Created with Datawrapper
In electrical engineering, international students represent 83% of the full-time graduate students at Auburn University, 81% at Duke University, 61% at the University of Kentucky, 88% at Texas A&M and SMU and 73% at the University of Texas at Austin.
International Students Do Not Crowd Out U.S. Students: “At the graduate level, international students do not crowd-out, but actually increase domestic enrollment,” concluded economist Kevin Shih. The NFAP study noted, “The increase in both the size and number of graduate programs in science and engineering at U.S. universities indicates U.S. student enrollment has not been held down by the lack of available slots at U.S. graduate schools.”
Postdoc Researchers: Another source of talent is postdoctoral researchers. “Postdocs assist in critical research at U.S. universities after completing their doctorate,” explains the NFAP analysis. “Fifty-six percent of postdocs at U.S. universities are foreign nationals who work on temporary visas, including 73% in electrical engineering (954 postdocs in 2019), 72% in metallurgical and materials engineering, 69% in mechanical engineering, 68% in chemical engineering, 66% in oncology and cancer research (1,202 postdocs), 66% in physics (1,785 postdocs), 64% in computer and information sciences, 63% in chemistry, 53% in neurobiology and neuroscience (1,179 postdocs) and 49% (1,951 postdocs) in clinical medicine.”
Even before the pandemic, U.S. universities experienced declines in enrolling new international students. Covid-19 caused new enrollment to plummet. Fewer Indian graduate students likely will come to America unless Congress addresses the long waits for employment-based green cards—fueled by the per-country limit and low annual quota—and the rejection of 70% of H-1B registrations due to the inadequate 85,000-annual H-1B limit for companies. Many Chinese graduate students are now denied visas due to an ill-advised Trump administration proclamation now being carried out by the State Department under the Biden administration.
For America to attract and retain top foreign-born talent, Congress and the executive branch almost certainly will need to change U.S. policies.
USCIS Strengthens Protections to Combat H-1B Abuses
Release Date 02/08/2021
Clarifies Policy on Requirements for Third-Party Worksite H-1B Petitions
WASHINGTON — The H-1B visa program generally allows a foreign employee to work for a specific sponsoring American employer. As is true in many employment situations, the location of work can change. USCIS has published a policy memorandum (PDF, 124.09 KB) making clear that USCIS may request detailed documentation to ensure a legitimate employer-employee relationship is maintained while an employee is working at a third-party worksite.
In publishing this policy, USCIS clarifies existing regulatory requirements relating to H-1B petitions filed for workers who will be employed at one or more third-party worksites. This policy memorandum makes clear that employers must provide contracts and itineraries for employees who will work at a third-party location.
The guidance, effective Feb. 22, 2018, explains that, in order for an H-1B petition involving a third-party worksite to be approved, the petitioner must show by a preponderance of evidence that, among other things:
- The beneficiary will be employed in a specialty occupation; and
- The employer will maintain an employer-employee relationship with the beneficiary for the duration of the requested validity period.
When H-1B beneficiaries are placed at third-party worksites, petitioners must demonstrate that they have specific and non-speculative qualifying assignments in a specialty occupation for that beneficiary for the entire time requested on the petition. While an H-1B petition may be approved for up to three years, USCIS will, in its discretion, generally limit the approval period to the length of time demonstrated that the beneficiary will be placed in non-speculative work and during which the petitioner will maintain the requisite employer-employee relationship.
The updated policy guidance aligns with President Trump’s Buy American and Hire American Executive Order and the directive to protect the interests of U.S. workers. Employment-based petitioners who circumvent the worker protections outlined in the nation’s immigration laws not only injure U.S. workers (e.g., their wages and job opportunities), but also the foreign workers for whom they are petitioning.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Last Reviewed/Updated: 02/22/2018
Source: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-strengthens-protections-to-combat-h-1b-abuses
DHS Delays Effective Date of H-1B Selection Final Rule
Release Date 02/04/2021
On Jan. 7, USCIS announced the H-1B Selection final rule, which amended the regulations governing the process by which USCIS selects H-1B registrations for the filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions.
To give USCIS more time to develop, test, and implement the modifications to the H-1B registration system and selection process, DHS is delaying the effective date of this final rule from March 9, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021. The delay will also provide more time for USCIS to train staff and perform public outreach as well as give stakeholders time to adjust to the new rule.
For the upcoming H-1B cap season, USCIS will apply the current regulations (random selection) to any registration period that takes place before Dec. 31, 2021.
Additional information on the delayed effective date is available in the Federal Register notice.
Last Reviewed/Updated:02/04/2021
Source: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/dhs-delays-effective-date-of-h-1b-selection-final-rule
美工作签证新规出炉！不抽签了 按这个标准排位
01/09/2021
美国公民和移民服务局（USCIS）上周五（8日）公布H-1B工作签证申请新规，取消现有的抽签制度，以申请人的薪资水平作为发放签证的优先考虑条件。新规将于今年3月9日正式生效，在此之前已提交申请者不受影响。
H-1B工作签证授权允许外籍专业技术人员受雇在美国境内工作。根据新规，美国政府将以申靖人的入职年限和工作经验为标准，划分四个薪资水平等级，一级最低、四级最高，在每年8.5万个签证配额不变的情况下，优先考虑向高等级的申请人发放签证。
USCIS表示，新规目的是保护美国工人的经济利益，同时确保优秀的外国工人从中受益。USCIS副局长埃德洛（Joseph Edlow）指出，H-1B工作签证被一些聘用初级职位和希望降低营运成本的雇主滥用，使美国无法借该项目吸引最优秀的国际人才。
外媒引述移民律师分析称，新规导致美国企业聘用外籍雇员的成本提高。而由于美国每年的H1B申请数量均超限额，对于新入职和缺乏工作经验的申请者而言，他们获得签证的可能性将相应降低。
USCIS Modifies H-1B Selection Process to Prioritize Wages
Release Date 01/07/2021
Rule Expected to Protect the Economic Interests of American Workers
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a final rule that will modify the H-1B cap selection process, amend current lottery procedures, and prioritize wages to protect the economic interests of U.S. workers and better ensure the most highly skilled foreign workers benefit from the temporary employment program.
Modifying the H-1B cap selection process will incentivize employers to offer higher salaries, and/or petition for higher-skilled positions, and establish a more certain path for businesses to achieve personnel needs and remain globally competitive.
“The H-1B temporary visa program has been exploited and abused by employers primarily seeking to fill entry-level positions and reduce overall business costs,” said USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. “The current H-1B random selection process makes it difficult for businesses to plan their hiring, fails to leverage the program to compete for the best and brightest international workforce, and has predominately resulted in the annual influx of foreign labor placed in low-wage positions at the expense of U.S. workers.”
This effort will only affect H-1B registrations (or petitions, if the registration process is suspended) submitted by prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. It will be implemented for both the H-1B regular cap and the H-1B advanced degree exemption, but it will not change the order of selection between the two as established by the H-1B registration final rule.
The final rule will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. DHS previously published a notice of proposed rulemaking on Nov. 2, 2020, and carefully considered the public comments received before deciding to publish the proposed regulations as a final rule.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and LinkedIn (/uscis).Last Reviewed/Updated:01/07/2021
Source: https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-modifies-h-1b-selection-process-to-prioritize-wages
Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor Rule Restores Integrity to H-1B Visa Program
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Today the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced an interim final rule (IFR) that strengthens the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program to protect U.S. workers, restores integrity to the H-1B program and better guarantees that H-1B petitions are approved only for qualified beneficiaries and petitioners.
The H-1B program was intended to allow employers to fill gaps in their workforce and remain competitive in the global economy, however it has now expanded far beyond that, often to the detriment of U.S. workers. Data shows that the more than a half million H-1B nonimmigrants in the United States have been used to displace U.S. workers. This has led to reduced wages in a number of industries in the U.S. labor market and the stagnation of wages in certain occupations. These latest efforts on H-1B visas are part of a larger Trump Administration goal to protect American workers.
“We have entered an era in which economic security is an integral part of homeland security. Put simply, economic security is homeland security. In response, we must do everything we can within the bounds of the law to make sure the American worker is put first,” said Acting Secretary Chad Wolf. “The Department of Homeland Security is honored to take this important step toward putting Americans first and to continue to implement President Trump’s agenda to keep our economy secure.”
This rule will combat the use of H-1B workers to serve as a low-cost replacement for otherwise qualified American workers.
The new rule will:
- Narrow the definition of “specialty occupation” as Congress intended by closing the overbroad definition that allowed companies to game the system;
- Require companies to make “real” offers to “real employees,” by closing loopholes and preventing the displacement of the American worker; and,
- Enhance DHS’s ability to enforce compliance through worksite inspections and monitor compliance before, during, and after an H1-B petition is approved.
This IFR will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is forgoing the regular notice and comment period to immediately ensure that employing H-1B workers will not worsen the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and adversely affect wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. The pandemic’s economic impact is an “obvious and compelling fact” that justifies good cause to issue this IFR.
