New actions announced by the Department of State and Homeland Security will benefit international students in STEM fields. (Photo Credit: Department of State and Homeland Security)
發稿單位：駐紐約辦事處教育組
發稿人：Kay Chang
美國白宮1月22日公布說明文件（Fact Sheet）指出，美國擁有的最大優勢之一，就是能吸引國際人才以強化美國經濟與科技之競爭力。為了讓更多科學、技術、工程及數學（Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM）四大領域的外國留學生與國際學者專家長期留在美國發展，拜登政府1月21日宣布多項有關留學及簽證政策改革。根據最新政策，STEM學科留學生畢業後將可在美國工作三年；國土安全部並增列22個STEM學科為三年實習許可計畫（Optional Practical Training, OPT）的適用範圍。
On January 21, 2022, the US Government announced new immigration policies that will give a direct pathway to the international students of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to study and complete professional training with an employer in the US. Government officials believe those actions not only will help American companies meet their workforce shortage, but also will ease higher education enrollment decline.
The US Department of State and Homeland Security (DHS) will add a total of 22 new fields of study to the STEM Designated Degree Program List under Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows graduates in STEM fields to remain in the U.S. after they graduate and to gain practical work experience related to their degree for three years. F-1 students are typically eligible for up to one year of post-graduate OPT. However, for those who graduate with a STEM degree are eligible for extra two years of OPT (STEM OPT). The newly added fields of study include Human-Centered Technology Design, Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Business Analytics. Therefore, a greater number of F-1 students will be eligible for STEM OPT.
In addition, early career STEM research initiative for J-1 scholars, specialists, students, interns, trainees, teachers, and professors are revealed. The US Department of State (DOS) has also announced that undergraduate and graduate students on exchange visitor J-1 visas in STEM fields can receive double amount of time up to 36 months in post-graduate academic training in the US. J-1 undergraduate and pre-doctoral students currently are eligible for up to 18 months of post-graduate academic training.
Concurrently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to give a wider interpretation of STEM expertise and area of extraordinary ability. It allows immigration officers to determine visa eligibility. USCIS provides additional examples, which gives professionals in STEM fields more evidences to submit when applying for O-1 visa. For example, journal impact factors, relative citations, research experience with notable institutions and unsolicited invitations to speak or present research at scientific conferences are now included in the listed regulatory criteria. O-1 visa is available to people with extraordinary ability or performance in the fields of science, business, education, or athletics.
發稿人：Kay Chang
美國白宮1月22日公布說明文件（Fact Sheet）指出，美國擁有的最大優勢之一，就是能吸引國際人才以強化美國經濟與科技之競爭力。為了讓更多科學、技術、工程及數學（Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM）四大領域的外國留學生與國際學者專家長期留在美國發展，拜登政府1月21日宣布多項有關留學及簽證政策改革。根據最新政策，STEM學科留學生畢業後將可在美國工作三年；國土安全部並增列22個STEM學科為三年實習許可計畫（Optional Practical Training, OPT）的適用範圍。
On January 21, 2022, the US Government announced new immigration policies that will give a direct pathway to the international students of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to study and complete professional training with an employer in the US. Government officials believe those actions not only will help American companies meet their workforce shortage, but also will ease higher education enrollment decline.
The US Department of State and Homeland Security (DHS) will add a total of 22 new fields of study to the STEM Designated Degree Program List under Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows graduates in STEM fields to remain in the U.S. after they graduate and to gain practical work experience related to their degree for three years. F-1 students are typically eligible for up to one year of post-graduate OPT. However, for those who graduate with a STEM degree are eligible for extra two years of OPT (STEM OPT). The newly added fields of study include Human-Centered Technology Design, Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Business Analytics. Therefore, a greater number of F-1 students will be eligible for STEM OPT.
In addition, early career STEM research initiative for J-1 scholars, specialists, students, interns, trainees, teachers, and professors are revealed. The US Department of State (DOS) has also announced that undergraduate and graduate students on exchange visitor J-1 visas in STEM fields can receive double amount of time up to 36 months in post-graduate academic training in the US. J-1 undergraduate and pre-doctoral students currently are eligible for up to 18 months of post-graduate academic training.
Concurrently, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to give a wider interpretation of STEM expertise and area of extraordinary ability. It allows immigration officers to determine visa eligibility. USCIS provides additional examples, which gives professionals in STEM fields more evidences to submit when applying for O-1 visa. For example, journal impact factors, relative citations, research experience with notable institutions and unsolicited invitations to speak or present research at scientific conferences are now included in the listed regulatory criteria. O-1 visa is available to people with extraordinary ability or performance in the fields of science, business, education, or athletics.