Humberto Gallego
Why U.S. Immigration Reform Must Prioritize College Graduates
Out of all of the global sectors that the U.S. leads in, higher education stands out. According to the U.S. News and World Report ranking of top global universities, American institutions of higher learning take seven of the top 10 spots and largely dominate the rest of the list. The key to the American Dream is often closely tied to a college degree, the first step in a longer journey of professional development.
In fact, the American higher education system is so good that in 2023/2024, more than 1.1 million international students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, according to the State Department. Of those, more than 85,000 came from Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, as of 2021, more than 141,000 DACA-eligible students and 400,000 undocumented immigrants (nearly 2% of all U.S. students) were enrolled in higher education.
The problem is that it is extremely difficult to obtain a work visa to use the skills and experience accrued at U.S. universities at a job in the U.S., and it is harder still to secure permanent residency after that. In this system, everyone loses: the U.S. does not reap the benefits of these talented and hardworking individuals; these students are not afforded easy access to live and work in the U.S., where oftentimes they will have better opportunities than in their home countries; and it can be difficult or impossible for undocumented students to find work after graduating with a college degree. This seems especially problematic given that these U.S. institutions are the beneficiaries of hundreds of billions of dollars of federal funding.
This is why the current immigration system is unjust, outdated, and universally harmful. For these individuals who grew up in or immigrated to the United States at a young age, attended school and eventually college in the U.S., and now want to use their degrees to benefit themselves, their families, and the country they live in, this situation is untenable, and it must end.
Fortunately, there is a fix. A solution has been floated in different forms by economists and politicians for a long time. Recently, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as former President Trump, have been receptive to the idea, making its implementation a real possibility. The solution is fairly straightforward: grant permanent residency - including a pathway to citizenship - to those who graduate from U.S. universities. However, for this to be fully effective, this system must also include a path to residency and citizenship for both international students and undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
Other countries recognize this fact and have implemented similar systems, creating a precedent for this type of program. Norway and Canada, for example, allow Permanent Residency applications immediately following the completion of a degree, with limited stipulations.
By creating a program to empower the U.S. and boost its population of highly accredited individuals, the U.S. can protect the technological lead it has built over the last century in the most important industrial sectors. At a time when countries like India and China are sprinting to expand their technological capabilities, this move could help ensure that the U.S. stays ahead and could help the government compete with adversaries that ignore IP law, like the C.C.P.
By integrating a legal path to citizenship for undocumented individuals living in the U.S., this solution could end two problems simultaneously. Of course, there would need to be strict restrictions on this policy to ensure that getting a degree is not an automatic get-out-of-jail-free card for people who have come to the U.S. illegally and that universities do not turn into businesses selling a direct path to citizenship. The specifics of this policy will need to be hammered out by experts specializing in the immigration, education, and labor sectors. Still, potential solutions could include limiting access to this program to certain degrees or universities that achieve a minimum academic ranking. But, moving forward with even a limited version of this policy would clearly create an immigration system that is more fair and beneficial for all.
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