More Than 150 University Presidents and Chancellors Sign Letter Supporting Visa Reform

More than 150 chancellors and presidents of U.S. universities sent a letter to President Barack Obama and to all members of Congress urging members of both parties to find a bipartisan solution to visa reform that would provide green cards for foreign-born students who earn advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The signatories included universities large and small, and from all 50 states. 

The letter calls this issue "a critical threat to America’s preeminence as a global center of innovation and prosperity," citing a new report, "Patent Pending," that found that in 2011, foreign-born inventors were contributors on 76 percent of patents issued to the top 10 patent-producing universities in the United States. The presidents warn that "there is a growing skill gap across America’s industries. One quarter of US science and engineering firms already report difficulty hiring, and the problem will only worsen." 

The letter was organized by the Partnership for a New American Economy as part of the coalition’s campaign to make STEM immigration reform a priority by repeatedly producing evidence of the value of STEM immigration reform and of broad bipartisan support from Americans.  

To read the letter, please visit: www.renewoureconomy.org/sites/all/themes/pnae/university-letter.pdf.