ASMA KHALID, HOST:
Scientific research in the U.S. relies heavily on foreign-born scientists, including more than half a million working under temporary visas. Those visas became more difficult to get during Donald Trump's first term as president, and they are likely to face new scrutiny again as Trump returns to the White House. NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton has been reporting on that and is with me now. Good morning, Jon.
JON HAMILTON, BYLINE: Good morning.
KHALID: So tell us about this particular kind of visa.
HAMILTON: Well, most common visa for working scientists is called the H-1B. It was created in 1990. The idea was to have a limited number of highly skilled foreign nationals working in the U.S. for up to six years. You have to have at least a bachelor's degree to qualify, but many of the scientists working under an H-1B actually have a Ph.D. And in the science world, this visa is a big deal. It's sometimes called the secret weapon, because it allows universities and tech companies to hire top talent from around the world. And international students can study in the U.S. under several other visas, but to stay and work after graduation, they really need to have an H-1B.
KHALID: So I do recall during Trump's first term in office, these H-1B visas did come under attack. Can you remind us of what exactly transpired?
HAMILTON: So three months into his first term, President Trump spoke at Snap-on tools in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was standing in front of this flag made of red, white and blue tools, and he unveiled a plan to restrict work visas, specifically the H-1B.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DONALD TRUMP: Widespread abuse in our immigration system is allowing American workers of all backgrounds to be replaced by workers brought in from other countries to fill the same job for sometimes less pay. This will stop.
HAMILTON: At the time, Trump issued several executive orders designed to make these visas harder to get. Then in 2020, he temporarily suspended the new H-1B visas. Now, the Biden administration came in, reversed a lot of those changes, but with Trump returning to office now, there could be another shift. Trump has named Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff, and Miller was the main architect of the H-1B restrictions under the first Trump administrations. On the other hand, Elon Musk has been a supporter of the visas, and he's pretty influential.
KHALID: So what does this lack of clarity mean for the scientists that you've been speaking with?
HAMILTON: It means a lot of anxiety. High-level science is this increasingly international sport. So, for example, I talked to Leili Mortazavi. She's a brain scientist who was born in Iran and is now getting her doctorate at Stanford University. She almost didn't get to come because of what's often called the Trump administration's Muslim ban, which kept out Iranian citizens. But Mortazavi was able to get a Canadian passport to attend Stanford.
LEILI MORTAZAVI: I really like Stanford. People here are great. The resources are amazing. But I would have to see what kinds of changes happen under Trump.
HAMILTON: I mean, she's worried about getting a visa to work in the U.S., so she's looking at jobs in other countries like Canada. She's also looked at Oxford and University College London.
KHALID: Jon, it seems like U.S. universities invest a lot in these folks. And universities, large research organizations, the tech sector depend quite a bit on international talent. So what are they saying about the fear that people that they are investing in, that they are training, may take their expertise elsewhere?
HAMILTON: They're clearly worried. You have some tech firms, like Box - you know, the cloud computing firm - that are making the case that H-1B visas are good for the U.S. economy. Some of these firms have also advised their workers who are abroad to make sure they return to the U.S. before Trump takes office. Universities are saying very little. I contacted at least half a dozen major research institutions over the past few weeks, and they pretty much declined to comment. I also reached out to the Trump transition team, but I haven't heard back yet.
KHALID: NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton, thanks for your reporting.
HAMILTON: Always happy to be here. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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