I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2717 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize certain aliens 
who have earned a Ph.D. degree from a United States institution of 
higher education in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics to be admitted for permanent residence and to be exempted 
from the numerical limitations on H–1B nonimmigrants. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2017 
Mr. PAULSEN (for himself and Mr. QUIGLEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize 
certain aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree from 
a United States institution of higher education in a 
field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics 
to be admitted for permanent residence and to be ex-
empted from the numerical limitations on H–1B non-
immigrants. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stopping Trained in 
America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2017’’ 
or the ‘‘STAPLE Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXEMPTION FROM NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS ON 
PERMANENT 
RESIDENTS 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
UNITED STATES EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS. 
(a) ALIENS NOT SUBJECT TO DIRECT NUMERICAL 
LIMITATIONS.—Section 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) Aliens who have earned a Ph.D. de-
gree from a United States institution of higher 
education (as defined in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a))) in a field of science, technology, engi-
neering, or mathematics and who have an offer 
of employment from a United States employer 
in a field related to such degree.’’. 
(b) PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING IMMIGRANT STA-
TUS.—Section 204(a)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(F)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘203(b)(2),’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘, or 201(b)(1)(F)’’ after 
‘‘203(b)(3)’’; and 
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(3) by striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’. 
SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FROM H–1B NUMERICAL LIMITATION 
FOR CERTAIN UNITED STATES EDUCATED 
NONIMMIGRANTS. 
Section 214(g)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(5)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) has earned a Ph.D. degree from a United 
States institution of higher education (as defined in 
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a))) in a field of science, tech-
nology, engineering, or mathematics and with re-
spect to whom the petitioning employer requires 
such education as a condition for the employment.’’. 
Æ 
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