Skip to main content

New visa rules for postdocs?

The linkurl:National Postdoctoral Association;https://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/13511/ is only four years old, but is already weighing in on serious issues in science. Last week, I received a linkurl:white paper;https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/atf/cf/%7B89152E81-F2CB-430C-B151-49D071AEB33E%7D/IPC%20WHITE%20PAPER%20letterhead.pdf from the NPA suggesting the US make changes to linkurl:visa requirements;https://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53418/ for foreign-born postdocs. The gr

Written byAlison McCook
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
The linkurl:National Postdoctoral Association;https://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/13511/ is only four years old, but is already weighing in on serious issues in science. Last week, I received a linkurl:white paper;https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/atf/cf/%7B89152E81-F2CB-430C-B151-49D071AEB33E%7D/IPC%20WHITE%20PAPER%20letterhead.pdf from the NPA suggesting the US make changes to linkurl:visa requirements;https://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53418/ for foreign-born postdocs. The group's suggestions: a) Eliminate the "intent to return" requirement currently attached to J-1 non-immigrant visas; b) Facilitate the ease of obtaining a new visa in the same category as the previous visa for international linkurl:postdoctoral researchers;https://www.the-scientist.com/2007/3/1/49/1/ if they travel to their home country; c) Raise the cap on H1-B visas for international postdoctoral researchers who have U.S. and/or foreign advanced degrees; d) Enhance enforcement of Department of Labor laws regarding prevailing wages as required by the H-1B non-immigrant classification; e) Allow spouses of international postdoctoral researchers to work in the U.S.; f) Establish a new non-immigrant classification specifically for non-immigrant international postdoctoral research scholars. According to the NPA, international postdoctoral researchers constitute a sizeable portion of US postdocs -- up to 50-72%. These researchers produce more peer-reviewed publications than American postdocs, the group contends. "This robust research productivity is at stake and could be lost, unless an outdated legislative framework is remedied. ' Alyson Reed, executive director of the NPA, told The Scientist associate editor Edyta Zielinska that the recommendations were sent out to the secretary of state and the secretary for the Department for Homeland Security, as well as the committee chairs of immigration reform. "We have no illusions that this went to the top of their pile," she says, but adds she hopes the document will raise awareness that "foreign post-docs are in a different situation" than graduate students, visiting professors, or scientists coming for a conference. Do you agree with the NPA's suggestions? Tell us in a comment.
Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member?
Add The Scientist as a preferred source on Google

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Related articles background image
August 2026 Digest cover
August 2026

Epic Fail: Sea-Monkeys Sabotage Fieldwork

When Barry Hicks set out to photograph thrombolites, thousands of unexpected visitors photobombed his underwater images.

View this Issue
Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Liver Cancer

Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Liver Cancer

Axion Biosystems
Optimizing NGS Library Preparation for Reliable Sequencing Data

Optimizing NGS Library Preparation for Reliable Sequencing Data

Covaris
Using TCR Repertoire Sequencing to Advance Immunology Research

Using TCR Repertoire Sequencing to Advance Immunology Research

Miltenyi
Mapping Clonal Mosaicism in Aging Tissues

Mapping Clonal Mosaicism in Aging Tissues

Mission bio

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Launches SuperNuclease ® Pro with Free Trial Program

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Launches Precisely Characterized Full-Length p-Tau217 Protein to Advance Next-Generation Alzheimer’s Biomarker Assay Development

A photo of a scientist placing the Resipher device on a 96-well plate.

Resipher: Continuous Live-Cell Mitochondrial Respiration Monitoring in 96-Well Plates

Lucid Scientific logo
Conceptual image of ice and frost.

The VAULT100 PRO: Inside the most advanced Stirling Ultracold ULT freezer ever built.

Stirling Ultracold logo