Friday, March 29, 2024

MSU pushes Congress to pass immigration reform

Heralded by many as a light at the end of the tunnel for both the state economy and its universities, MSU is taking a firm stance on immigration policy, channeling part of its 2013 total of $90,000 in “obbying expenses toward a massive reform bill currently stalled in the U.S. House.

“We as an institution have a large number of not only international students but also international faculty,” said Mark Burnham, vice president for governmental affairs. “A lot of times, it’s in the nation’s best interest….to keep them in-country, and give them a chance to become permanent citizens.”

Universities across the nation are following suit, echoing Burnham’s concern that if they don’t make it easier for international students to get work visas soon, states could lose graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math to other nations.

It’s similar to the “brain drain” from Michigan to other states, just played out on a global scale.

In Michigan, international students are more than three times as likely to major in STEM-related fields than domestic students, according to the most recent report from the “Global Talent Retention Initiative of Michigan. Power players across political, business and educational spheres see those fields as a major factor, if not the solution, in solving the state’s economic woes.

Although many international students do get work visas, it’s difficult to do so, Burnham said.

Applicants face a long process to obtain the necessary documentation for post-graduation work.

“There’s no immigration bill today that is on the precipice of becoming law,” he said. “It’s unfortunate … immigration reform seems to have stalled yet again in Washington.”

The 65,000 annual cap on H-1B visas — the one that degree-holding foreigners often apply for — is frequently reached when the economy seems healthy, said Elizabeth Matthews, assistant director at MSU’s Office for International Students and Scholars.

Those who don’t get accepted have to wait until the next application cycle. Matthews said it’s impossible to tell how many applicants have their H-1B requests denied in a given year.

“The whole world is at a skills gap,” said Athena Trentin, director of the Global Talent Retention Initiative of Michigan. “We’ve got this huge disconnect. If we don’t fill those jobs, we’re going to stalemate the economy.”

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