In a recent report, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has cautioned U.S. policymakers that the nation risks losing its competitive edge in science and engineering unless significant reforms are made to the immigration system. The NAS committee, comprising scientists, professors, and national security experts, urges Congress to increase the number of employment-based green cards, eliminate per-country limits on high-skilled immigrant visas, and enhance domestic science and engineering education. The report, commissioned by the Defense Department, describes a “fierce” global competition for high-skilled labor, with other countries, including China, posing serious challenges to America’s ability to attract and retain talented foreign-born professionals.
Key Recommendation: Increase Green Cards for Skilled Immigrants
Among the various recommendations, the most critical is the call to amend U.S. immigration laws to allow more highly skilled immigrants into the country. The NAS report emphasizes the need for Congress to create clear and accessible pathways to permanent residency and citizenship for qualified foreign-born STEM professionals.
The report suggests that Congress should enable government agencies to identify crucial areas in science, technology, and engineering that are vital to their missions and then authorize additional green cards for qualified experts in these fields. Notably, the NAS recommends creating a new category for highly skilled permanent residents that would be exempt from per-country caps and existing numerical limitations. The report also advocates for the inclusion of international STEM graduates from U.S. institutions in this new category.
A similar provision was part of the CHIPS and Science Act passed by the House of Representatives in 2022, which proposed exemptions from annual green card limits for foreign nationals with Ph.D. degrees in STEM fields and those with master’s degrees in critical industries. However, this provision was blocked during a House-Senate conference by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), a move that prevented it from becoming law.
Challenges with Current Visa Policies
Mark Barteau, chair of the NAS committee, highlighted the detrimental impact of the current U.S. immigration system, noting that the country is losing talent due to the restrictive annual limits on H-1B and employment-based immigrant visas. He explained that H-1B visas have become the primary means of retaining international students, yet only about 25% of H-1B applicants are selected each year due to the cap of 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 for graduates from U.S. universities. This cap represents a mere 0.05% of the U.S. labor force.
Barteau stressed that the ease of obtaining visas is a crucial factor in determining how effectively a country can benefit from international talent, echoing a key conclusion from the report.
Benefits of Admitting Foreign-Born Scientists and Engineers
The report also underscores the substantial benefits of admitting foreign-born scientists and engineers. It cites research by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) showing that over 55% of U.S. startup companies valued at $1 billion or more had at least one immigrant founder. Additionally, since 2000, immigrants have received 40% of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in chemistry, medicine, and physics.
An NFAP study by University of North Florida economics professor Madeline Zavodny found that the presence of H-1B visa holders is linked to lower unemployment rates and faster earnings growth among college graduates. Another study by Zavodny, also cited in the report, concluded that for every 10 bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields awarded to international students, 15 additional STEM degrees were awarded to U.S. students.
Research by Britta Glennon, a professor at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, reveals that restrictions on H-1B visas lead to offshoring of tech jobs and reduced research and development (R&D) investment in the U.S., forcing companies to send jobs, resources, and innovations abroad.
The report further references a study by Rasha Ashraf of Georgia State University and Rina Ray of the University of Colorado at Denver, which found that an increase in H-1B admissions boosts worker productivity and company profits, particularly in R&D-intensive firms. Conversely, a reduction in the H-1B cap in 2004 led to a decline in patents among companies reliant on skilled immigrant professionals.
China’s Talent Programs and U.S. Policy Responses
The NAS report highlights China’s aggressive efforts to attract global talent through initiatives like the Changjiang Scholars, Hundred Talents, and Thousand Talents programs, which have successfully recruited world-class experts. These programs are seen as foundational to China’s significant advancements in science and technology.
While acknowledging China as a competitor, the NAS criticizes the Trump administration’s “China Initiative,” launched in 2018 by the Department of Justice, as counterproductive. The initiative, which focused on criminal investigations related to academic research, created an environment of fear and uncertainty among Asian American scientists. The NAS report praises the Biden administration’s decision to end the China Initiative, advocating instead for training programs and standardized disclosure policies to address concerns about foreign influence without undermining scientific collaboration.
The report also discusses the negative effects of policies like Presidential Proclamation 10043, which sought to block Chinese graduate students from entering the U.S., citing the detrimental impact on the U.S. scientific community and the “chilling effects” of such restrictions on scientists of Chinese descent.
Additional Recommendations
Beyond the call for more green cards, the NAS urges a larger role for the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in overseeing a comprehensive government strategy for recruiting and retaining international talent. The report also recommends a forward-looking approach to developing domestic STEM talent and calls on businesses and universities to better educate policymakers on the importance of foreign-born talent for national security and international collaboration.
The NAS committee recognizes the intangible benefits that attract global talent to the U.S., such as values, freedom, and opportunity, but warns that these advantages are at risk if the U.S. is perceived as less open and welcoming to foreign researchers.
While the committee emphasizes the need to encourage more U.S.-born individuals to enter STEM fields, Chair Mark Barteau acknowledges that, at least for the next generation, America cannot maintain its technological leadership without relying on international talent. He notes that the failure to reform visa and immigration policies has led to a loss of talent to both allied and competing nations, which could jeopardize the U.S.’s scientific and economic leadership.