Foreign-Born Scientists Face Uncertainty Amid U.S. Visa Policy Changes

Foreign-born workers constitute approximately half of the doctoral-level scientists and engineers in the United States. Many of these professionals initially come to the U.S. under H-1B visas, which are granted to up to 85,000 highly skilled individuals annually. These visas allow recipients to work in the U.S. for a period of up to six years. However, policy changes under the Trump administration have raised concerns about the future of this critical workforce.

The incoming Trump administration has signaled its intention to tighten regulations around H-1B visas. Such restrictions could make it more difficult for U.S. universities, research institutions, and tech companies to recruit highly skilled international talent. Experts warn that the potential consequences might mirror what occurred in the United Kingdom after Brexit, which made it harder for European scientists to work there. Raymundo Báez-Mendoza, a scientist heading a lab at the Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen, Germany, highlighted this parallel.

“A lot of countries in Europe benefited from Brexit, in the sense of capturing really amazing scientists that were working in Britain,” Báez-Mendoza observed. He emphasized that in the scientific community, “top talent is very mobile.”

Báez-Mendoza’s own career exemplifies this mobility. Born in Mexico City, he pursued a master’s degree in Tübingen, Germany, a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard under an H-1B visa before returning to Germany. His lab now includes scientists from five countries, including the U.S.

During Trump’s presidency, the administration moved quickly to fulfill its promises regarding visa restrictions. In 2017, months after taking office, Trump outlined his intentions during a speech at Snap-on Tools in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Speaking in front of a backdrop of red, white, and blue wrenches, Trump declared, “Widespread abuse in our immigration system is allowing American workers of all backgrounds to be replaced by workers brought in from other countries to fill the same job for sometimes less pay. This will stop.”

H-1B visas were a focal point of his speech, though it was later revealed that Snap-on itself employed workers under this program. Trump subsequently issued executive orders aimed at tightening H-1B visa regulations and, in 2020, suspended new H-1B and other temporary work visas.

The implications of these measures have been far-reaching, leaving a lasting impression on many international scientists. Among them is Leili Mortazavi, a brain scientist from Iran who is currently completing her doctoral studies at Stanford University. Reflecting on her experience, Mortazavi said, “I really like Stanford, people here are great, the resources [are] amazing. But I would have to see what kinds of changes happen under Trump.”

Mortazavi almost lost the opportunity to study at Stanford due to an executive order issued in early 2017, commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban.” This order temporarily closed U.S. borders to individuals holding Iranian passports. Fortunately, Mortazavi obtained a Canadian passport just in time to avoid the ban’s effects. Later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump proposed a policy that could have deported international students attending virtual classes.

“There was talk about asking all the international students to go back home, which was a very, very stressful time,” Mortazavi recalled. “Luckily it didn’t go through, but I still remember that very, very vividly.”

As a new Trump administration looms, Mortazavi remains concerned about her ability to secure a U.S. visa for work. Her apprehension is compounded by the return of Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term. Uncertain about her future in the U.S., Mortazavi is exploring job opportunities abroad.

“University of Toronto has a lot of great labs relevant to my work,” she said. “I also visited Oxford and University College London last summer and would really be interested in working with them.”

During Trump’s first term, several businesses and academic institutions challenged the administration’s visa policies in court. However, in light of the potential for renewed restrictions, many of these entities are now maintaining a low profile. Half a dozen universities and research institutions contacted for comment on the matter either did not respond or declined to make public statements.

Meanwhile, the Trump transition team has not provided information about the president-elect’s plans for H-1B visas, leaving many scientists, engineers, and their employers in a state of uncertainty.