A study examines how visa policies influence the employment of foreign-born STEM PhDs at technology startups in the United States. Though US universities attract students from all over the world, it is unclear how US immigration policies affect the employment opportunities of individuals from foreign countries who earned their PhDs in the United States. Michael Roach and John Skrentny surveyed 2,324 individuals who earned a STEM-based PhD from a US research university and found industry employment in the United States between 2010 and 2016. Of the surveyed cohort, 65.4% of individuals were US citizens. The authors found that 15.8% of US PhDs worked for a technology startup, compared with 6.8% of foreign-born PhDs. Although both groups were equally likely to apply and receive offers for startup positions, foreign-born PhDs were 56% less likely than US-born PhDs to accept an offer. However, compared with foreign-born temporary residents, foreign individuals who received a green card, and therefore permanent resident status, by first working at an established firm were more likely to seek future employment at a startup rather than at another established firm. The results suggest that visa status influences startup employee outcomes, and visa reforms could strengthen the startup workforce, according to the authors.
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Article #18-20079: "Why foreign STEM PhDs are unlikely to work for US technology startups," by Michael Roach and John Skrentny.
MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Roach, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; tel: 919-667-8442; email: michael.roach@cornell.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences