21 Jan 2021 | News
Biden vows immigration reform to attract top talent to the US
New President’s plans could make visas easier for foreign students and tech-industry workers – but it will be a long battle in Congress, and the debate is already underway
In one of his first acts, US President Joe Biden began a sweeping overhaul of US immigration law that – if approved by Congress – would make it easier for researchers, engineers and science students to come to the US.
By executive order, Biden immediately dismantled his predecessor’s ban on US travel for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. While affecting all kinds of travelers from those countries, in the research and tech sectors it had disrupted some collaborative research projects, and interrupted the flow of international students and tech workers. In a statement, the new administration called the ban “inconsistent with American values.”