FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2011
Contact: Samantha Greene, The Fratelli Group, 202-822-9491
Welcoming Foreign-born U.S.-Educated Advanced STEM Degree Holders Important to America’s Job Growth and Economic Recovery
ACIP Applauds House Judiciary Subcommittee for Focus on Critical Issue
Washington, D.C. – The American Council on International Personnel (ACIP) today applauded the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement for holding a hearing on the vital role foreign-born U.S.-educated advanced STEM degree holders can play in America’s economic recovery. During the hearing, members of both the business and academic communities explained that innovation and job growth are the cornerstones of our economic recovery and that U.S. employers need to retain the top talent they recruit from America’s world-class universities.
As ACIP Executive Director Lynn Shotwell explained in a statement prepared for the record:
In the dawn of an economic recovery, our nation’s top priority must be to grow jobs for America. This requires us to retain our global leadership in innovation and productivity in a 21st Century global economy, which in turn requires access to a range of talents. In an economy that changes as fast as it does today, having the right talent at the right place at the right time is the difference between success and failure, between innovation and stagnation. …
According to the National Science Foundation, international students receive 50% to 60% of master’s and Ph.D. degrees awarded in various engineering disciplines in U.S. institutions. In addition, international students earn nearly 50% of Ph.D. and more than 40% of the master’s degrees awarded in mathematics. … These statistics represent a stark reminder that the United States can either choose to retain this talent in whom we have already invested our educational resources, or lose them to our competitors because our immigration laws do not provide sufficient avenues for them to stay.
ACIP and its member companies have long supported a predictable employment-based immigration system that welcomes the world’s top talent, complemented by smart enforcement measures and a Trusted Employer system for employers who play by the rules.
Click here to read ACIP’s statement for the record. Read more about recommendations for employment-based green card and visa reform in ACIP’s primer. Learn more about ACIP at www.acip.com.
The American Council on International Personnel (ACIP) represents employers working to speed U.S. economic recovery, create new jobs for all Americans and advance American innovation. Our members are companies, universities, research institutions and organizations that employ the critical talent that has and will continue to build the U.S. economy and raise the standard of living for all Americans. We build the workforces necessary to keep America on the cutting edge of worldwide innovation and leading the global economy. Learn more at www.acip.com.
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| Attachment | Size |
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| House STEM Hearing 10-5-11 FINAL.pdf | 277.72 KB |
