Will the political changes in the United States affect the STEM students in US?

There are several factors that impact a countries economic and immigration policies. The most important fact is the demand for any particular skill. It is globally renowned fact that the demand for specialists in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are booming rapidly, every developed and developing country around the world is keen on utilizing the skillful resources. Irrespective of the political phenomenon and factors, the countries primarily intends to recognize the value of immigrant college degree holders in the STEM fields. Being the top global destination for international students, the United States will not risk losing its dominance as a resourceful country by restricting the immigrant STEM students. It definitely adheres to the policies that can benefit economically from their skills. In spite of its dominance in science and technology, the United States still faces huge shortages of human resources in select science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. At the same time, other advanced economies are stepping up their efforts to recruit highly skilled graduates from abroad—in some cases targeting those educated in the United States.

Highlighting the need for such STEM resources, the United States government had already taken several steps and reforms to enable STEM students to pursue work in the United States after graduation. In fact, they are allowed to work during and after their graduation course with permits such as H1B, CPT, and OPT. It had eased various immigration procedures for them to encourage their involvement. But will these initiatives be enough? Though two-thirds of international STEM students educated in U.S. education institutions opts to remain in the country after graduation, the United States is no longer perceived as economically powerful as it once was. Given that other countries provide easier paths to permanent residence, the United States might consider incentivizing students to stay, not only immediately after graduation but also later in their careers. This article provides an overview of the international STEM student population in the United States, evaluates labor market gaps for STEM jobs, and explores how these students perceive life in the United States, in order to assess whether policy initiatives might motivate them to stay.

Considering the drastic demand for STEM degree holders in the United States, no political flutters or changes would impact the career prospects of them.