New analysis from FWD.us shows that the United States could retain more than 100,000 U.S.-educated international student graduates each year, helping to fill millions of vacant Congress should pass legislation to increase retention of international graduates by expanding legal immigration avenues.job openings in critical industries of the future, boosting the economy by more than $200 billion this decade, and significantly strengthening our global competitiveness.
While our analysis shows that the opportunity to stay in the country is a clear motivator for prospective international students, the dim prospects for their ability to stay in the U.S. after they graduate are increasingly motivating prospective students to consider studying elsewhere, restricting the talent pipeline and weakening the U.S. workforce.1
Leaders from both parties are increasingly recognizing the need to better recruit and retain international students to the U.S. Below are five legislative proposals that Congress can work on now to better retain international students in the U.S. by expanding legal immigration avenues.