,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #edgg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ad1 #bjbc,mr4 ,foster 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,lawler1 ,mr4 ,nickel1 and ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to provide lawful permanent resident status for certain advanced ,,stem degree holders1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,keep ,,stem ,talent ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,visa requirements 7a7 ,graduate degree visa requirements ,to be approved for or maintain nonimmigrant status under section #aja7;a77#ae77;,f7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae77;,f771 a student seeking to pursue an advanced degree in a ,,stem field 7as defined in section #bja7;b77#a77;,f77ii7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea7;b77#a77;,f77ii777 7as amended by section #c7;a77 for a degree at the master's level or higher at a ,united ,states institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a777 must apply for admission prior to beginning such advanced degree program4 7b7 ,strengthened vetting process ,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,secretary of ,state shall establish procedures to ensure that aliens described in subsection 7a7 are admissible pursuant to section #bab7;a77#c77;,a7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7;a77#c77;,a774 ,such procedures shall ensure that such aliens seeking admission from within the ,united ,states undergo verification of academic credentials1 comprehensive background checks1 and interviews in a manner equivalent to that of an alien seeking admission from outside of the ,united ,states4 ,to the greatest extent practicable1 the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,secretary of ,state shall also take steps to ensure that such applications for admission are processed in a timely manner to allow the pursuit of graduate education4 7c7 ,reporting requirement ,the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security and the ,secretary of ,state shall submit an annual report to the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate and the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,house of ,representatives detailing the implementation and effectiveness of the requirement for foreign graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in ,,stem fields to seek admission prior to pursuing a graduate degree program4 ,the report shall include data on visa application volumes1 processing times1 security outcomes1 and economic impacts4 #c4 ,lawful permanent resident status for certain advanced stem degree holders 7a7 ,aliens not subject ,to direct numerical limitations ,section #bja7;b77#a7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea7;b77#a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7,f7 7i7 ,aliens who-- 7,i7 have earned a degree in a ,,stem field at the master's level or higher while physically present in the ,united ,states from a ,united ,states institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a777 accredited by an accrediting entity recognized by the ,department of ,education2 7,,ii7 have an offer of employment from1 or are employed by1 a ,united ,states employer to perform work that is directly related to such degree at a rate of pay that is higher than the median wage level for the occupational classification in the area of employment1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,labor2 and 7,,iii7 have an approved labor certification under section #bab7;a77#e77;,a77i72 or 7,,iv7 are the spouses and children of aliens described in subclauses 7,i7 through 7,,iii7 who are accompanying or following to join such aliens4 7ii7 ,in this subparagraph1 the term ,,stem field means a field of science1 technology1 engineering1 or mathematics described in the most recent version of the ,classification of ,instructional ,programs of the ,department of ,education taxonomy under the summary group of-- 7,i7 computer and information sciences and support services2 7,,ii7 engineering2 7,,iii7 mathematics and statistics2 7,,iv7 biological and biomedical sciences2 7,v7 physical sciences2 7,,vi7 agriculture sciences2 or 7,,vii7 natural resources and conservation sciences4 4 7b7 ,procedure for granting immigration status ,section #bjd7;a77#a77;,f7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaed7;a77#a77;,f77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking #bjc7;b77#b7 and all that follows through ,attorney ,general2 and 7#b7 by inserting #bjc7;b77#b71 #bjc7;b77#c71 or #bja7;b77#a77;,f7 may file a petition with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security4 7c7 ,labor certification ,section #bab7;a77#e77;,d7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahb7;a77#e77;,d77 is amended by inserting section #bja7;b77#a77;,f7 or under after adjustment of status under4 7d7 ,dual intent for ,f nonimmigrants seeking advanced ,,stem degrees at ,united ,states institutions of higher education ,notwithstanding sections #aja7;a77#ae77;,f77i7 and #bad7;b7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae77;,f77i7 and#aahd7;b771 an alien who is a bona fide student admitted to a program in a ,,stem field 7as defined in subparagraph 7,f77ii7 of section #bja7;b77#a7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea7;b77#a777 for a degree at the master's level or higher at a ,united ,states institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a777 accredited by an accrediting entity recognized by the ,department of ,education may obtain a student visa1 be admitted to the ,united ,states as a nonimmigrant student1 or extend or change nonimmigrant status to pursue such degree even if such alien seeks lawful permanent resident status in the ,united ,states4 ,nothing in this subsection may be construed to modify or amend section #aja7;a77#ae77;,f77i7 or #bad7;b7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae77;,f77i7 or #aahd7;b771 or any regulation interpreting these authorities for an alien who is not described in this subsection4