It Could Get Easier for STEM-Savvy Russians to Enter US

President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 Emergency Supplemental Request to Congress includes immigration provisions that target Russia’s innovative potential and provide a pathway to citizenship for Afghans paroled into the US.

President Biden proposed two significant changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act in an April 28, 2022 request to Congress for $33 billion in emergency military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The first change is designed to “undercut Russia’s innovative potential” by making it easier for Russians with masters or doctoral degrees in fields involving science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) to leave Russia and immigrate to the US. The provision would waive the labor certification and job offer provisions normally required for permanent residence, and also calls for these cases to be expedited.

According to the proposal, attracting and retaining Russian STEM talent will benefit US national security. This proposed change includes a sunset provision which would automatically end the program in four years.

The President’s request also includes a route to permanent residence for certain Afghanis paroled into the US after a year of continuous presence.

The new immigration provisions are expected to be included in the bipartisan Ukraine Aid bill which may be linked to a new COVID relief bill, the fate of which is tied to Title 42, part of the Public Health Service Act which since March 2020 has been used by the CDC to seal the land borders with Canada and Mexico.