US Congress Bill seeks direct 'Green card' to PhD holders 7 Apr 2009, 2016 hrs IST, PTI

WASHINGTON: In an effort to retain the best foreign talent in the country, a bill has been introduced in the US Congress, which if passed, would give direct "permanent residency" to overseas PhD students, including from India. As such these foreign students would be exempted from applying for H-1B visas or other work visas to stay and work in the United States. However, not all PhD would be eligible for the popular "Green Card". As per the bill introduced by Jeff Flake, Republican Congressman from Arizona, only those foreign nationals having completed PhDs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) would be eligible to directly apply. If passed, the Stopping Trained in America PhDs from Leaving the Economy (STAPLE) Act (HR 1791), would end up benefiting the Indians and Chinese the most, as students from these two countries account for a majority of the PhD students in the United States. The bill also say that such PhD holders be exempted from the numerical quota of H-1B visas.

sounds like a plan.  i hope this bill passes.

This plan ensures that more people will end up spending a lot of money on education in order to get the coveted greencard after they finish their PHD.

Well, who would want to pay money to get PhD?  Usually, you would get full stipend from your advising professor when you do PhD.

This is a clever move though.  Keeping highly qualified people in the US actually generates jobs and keeps the country on the bleeding edge.