Overview

Science education and research is a global endeavor. The recently released NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates reported that 33% of the 41,000 PhDs awarded in science and engineering in the U.S. in 2008 went to non-U.S. citizen visa holders. What is more, these highly skilled and trained scientists are not leaving, with a separate study by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) finding that 62% of foreigners who came to the U.S. for their doctorates were still working here five years later. The implication then is that a large part of the scientific workforce in the U.S. consists of and relies upon foreign talent.

These statistics supporting the role of the U.S. in the globalization of academic science belie a common impediment that foreign scientists face: a challenging visa process that has seen a recent resurgence in delays for students and a low cap on permanent-resident visas for those aspiring to remain and work here. For international scientists, the immigration and visa process in the U.S. is a legitimate concern.

To help international science PhDs understand the intricacies involved in studying and working in the US, Science Alliance hosted the event "Navigating Immigration and Visa Issues: A Primer for Postdocs and Young Scientists" March 8, 2010, at the Academy. Leading the discussion were Suzanne Seltzer, Partner, and Kate Kalmykov, Associate, from Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP, a law firm that specializes in immigration and nationality law. In their talk, they stepped through the alphabet of visa options available to foreign scientists, from H-1Bs, O-1s and J-1 Waivers, and addressed factors for those wishing to establish permanent residence status.

Use the tab above to find multimedia from this event.