WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary’s Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security Subcommittee, today introduced the Securing the Talent America Requires for the 21^st Century or “STAR Act,” legislation designed to retain top foreign students earning graduate degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from American universities:“In the global competition for the world’s best and brightest minds in math and science, the United States should take a backseat to no one. 

“I am confident the STAR Act will bolster American competitiveness and provide a stronger foundation for long-term economic growth and job creation.”

Nearly half of U.S. Master’s and Ph.D. degree recipients in STEM-related fields come from outside the country, but the lack of a sensible and coherent immigration policy is causing our nation to lose many entrepreneurs and job creators to competitors abroad. The STAR Act will reform the process by:

• Allocating 55,000 immigrant visas for eligible STEM graduates (Master’s and Ph.D.) of qualifying U.S. research institutions who have job offers in related fields;
• Offsetting these allocations by eliminating the so-called “Diversity Visa” lottery program; and
• Streamlining STEM graduate students’ ability to obtain green cards and remain in the United States by allowing “dual-intent” for those admitted to pursue a STEM degree.

Read more about the STAR Act as well as the text of the legislation here.

Support for the STAR Act

“Increasing the strength in STEM initiatives is one of the focal points of our mission at Texas Tech, and we applaud Senator Cornyn for his leadership and support of graduates of these programs. Many talented individuals can have an enhanced opportunity to work in STEM related fields because of this type of support.” – Dr. Guy Bailey, President, Texas Tech University

“America’s world-class universities are educating and graduating foreign-born, advanced STEM degree holders who are eager to innovate and stimulate U.S. jobs growth for American companies. The American economy needs these highly sought after graduates, and we can’t afford to let our U.S. immigration system fall behind in the global race for talent by losing these graduates to foreign competitors.” – Lynn Shotwell, Executive Director, American Counsel on International Personnel (Full press release here.)

“We applaud Senator Cornyn for recognizing that in these difficult economic times we must recruit and retain job creators in the United States. In US universities across our nation, we are graduating the world’s top engineering and scientific minds.  Among those graduates with Masters and PhDs in STEM related fields, half or more are from another country.  We are training the world’s best minds only to have our immigration system send a very clear message: go home and compete against America.” – Scott Corley, Executive Director, Compete America (Full press release here.)

“It is refreshing to see Senators from both sides of the aisle introducing legislation this week that will help America keep its competitive edge. The SMART Act and the STAR Act highlight the value of strategic immigration by keeping American-educated master’s and doctorate STEM students in the United States. America’s future competitiveness and prosperity relies on the ideas and hard work of the best and the brightest – no matter where they are from. CEA has long been a proponent of strategic immigration reform. Our Innovation Movement is closely following the movement of these bills, and our 200,000 members will continue to seek Congressional support for innovation and entrepreneurialism in America.” – Michael Petricone, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Association (Full press release here.)

“Our immigration system is broken. America is increasingly not seen as a welcoming environment for the world’s best and brightest to turn new ideas into new businesses. Absent action by Congress to reduce the waiting period for green cards, we run the risk of a brain drain that threatens America’s current and long-term innovation leadership.  Senator Cornyn’s legislation would reduce the green card backlog, and make other reforms to retain job-creating talent.  The Cornyn bill is the latest in a number of important legislative solutions sought by members of both parties in Congress to make our immigration system work to advance economic growth and job creation.”  – Robert Hoffman, Vice President of Government Affairs, Information Technology Industry Council (Full press release here.)

Senator Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services and Budget Committees.  He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.