Washington, D.C.– Today, Rep. Erik Paulsen (MN-03) and Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced the bipartisan Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s from Leaving the Economy (STAPLE) Act, which would exempt foreign-born individuals who have earned an American Ph.D. in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from the limits on the number of employment-based green cards and H-1B visas awarded annually.

“It’s a product of our broken immigration system that we often kick out or turn away the best and brightest minds and force them to return to their home countries where they end up becoming our competitors,” said Rep. Paulsen. “Thousands of jobs go unfilled because of the high demand for employees in STEM-related fields. The STAPLE Act keeps innovation and skill in the U.S. to create more jobs and a healthier economy.”

“America’s leadership in research and technology is being threatened by our current immigration system that sends foreign-born, but U.S. educated, students back home to compete against us after earning advanced degrees. This not only puts U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage, but also jeopardizes our ability to innovate and create jobs,” said Rep. Quigley. “Allowing immigrants who are highly-skilled, American educated professionals to stay in the U.S. will improve our quality of life, keep our country competitive, and draw the best and brightest minds to America. Investing in STEM educated professionals is one of the best ways we can invest in our future, and the STAPLE Act does just that.”

"We commend Reps. Paulsen and Quigley for introducing the bipartisan STAPLE Act to retain the best and brightest minds who have been educated at our leading universities," said Dean Garfield, President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the global voice for the technology sector's leading companies. "The choice is simple, we can either keep our highly educated students here to help America innovate, create new jobs, and win in the global economy; or we can send them back home to compete against us.”

Joining Paulsen and Quigley in sponsoring the STAPLE Act is Congressman Jim Renacci (OH-16).

Background:

H-1B visas, also known as high-skilled visas, are subject to annual caps that are woefully short of the number necessary to fill high-skilled jobs. Since April 1 when the U.S. began accepting H-1B petitions, the U.S. has received 233,000 applications for these high-skilled visas. Only 65,000 will be available this year meaning that applicants will be subject to a lottery where two out of three applicants will be denied a visa.

Numerous studies have found that H-1B visas correspond with an increase in jobs for native citizens. For example, a 2011 American Enterprise Institute study found that “an additional 100 foreign-born workers in STEM fields with advanced degrees from U.S. universities is associated with an additional 262 jobs among U.S. natives.”

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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