Legislation Attracts Bipartisan Co-Sponsorship

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith today (9/18) filed a bill boosting job creation, growing the U.S. economy, and increasing America's presence in the global business market.

The STEM Jobs Act (H.R. 6429) eliminates the diversity visa lottery and reallocates more than 50,000 permanent resident ("green") cards a year to the top foreign graduates of U.S. universities with STEM doctorates. Any remaining green cards are then made available to foreign graduates with master’s degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields.

Smith's legislation has already attracted nearly 50 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.

“We can boost economic growth and spur job creation by allowing American employers to more easily hire some of the most qualified foreign graduates of U.S. universities," Smith said. “These students have the ability to start companies that create jobs or come up with inventions that can jump-start a whole new industry."

A summary of the STEM Jobs Act is HERE.

The full bill text is HERE.