You may have heard about President Biden’s “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence” released on October 30th, 2023. The order might help international students who wish to study and work on AI in the United States, with one important caveat. Here are some key takeaways from the order:
- The order instructs the Secretary of State and Department of Homeland Security to “streamline processing times of visas and applications” for international students and scholars who intend to study or research AI in the United States
- The order asks the State Department to include F-1 students in STEM fields as part of the upcoming pilot domestic visa renewal program
- The order encourages the Department of Homeland Security to “clarify and modernize immigration pathways for experts in AI and other critical and emerging technologies, including O-1A and EB-1 noncitizens of extraordinary ability; EB-2 advanced-degree holders and noncitizens of exceptional ability; and startup founders in AI and other critical and emerging technologies using the International Entrepreneur Rule.”
While the executive order appears to contain good news for many international students, other recent developments have been less positive. The Biden administration has recently proposed a new H-1B rule, which would require H-1B applicants to demonstrate a closer match between their occupational and degree titles than is currently required.
For more information, check out Biden’s executive order or read Stuart Anderson’s detailed write-up in Forbes:
