STAPLE Act

Bill: 115-hr-2717
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Paulsen, Erik [R-MN-3]
Introduced: 2017-05-25
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Foreign labor

Higher education

Immigration status and procedures

Science and engineering education

Visas and passports
Latest action: action_date: 2017-07-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p> <strong>Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2017 or the STAPLE Act </strong></p> <p>This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from: (1) direct numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; and (2) H-1B visa (specialty occupation) numerical limitations aliens who have a U.S. STEM Ph.D. and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such an education.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2717 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 exempted from the numerical limitations on H–1B nonimmigrants.

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 . 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 adding at the end the following: (F) Aliens who have 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, technology, engineering, 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 status Section 204(a)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality 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 (3) by striking Attorney General and inserting Secretary of Homeland Security . 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, technology, engineering, or mathematics and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such education as a condition for the employment. .