COMPETES Act

As negotiations continue on the COMPETES Act (anticompetition with China legislation), House Democrats and outside groups are pushing for immigration provisions that would attract high-skilled workers and boost critical sectors of the economy. The House-passed bill contains a provision that would allow more immigrants who have a doctorate degree in science, technology, engineering, or math to get green cards to live and work in the U.S. The Senate bill does not include that provision. Democrats say the provisions to exempt STEM advanced degree holders from annual limits on green cards could attract more international students at a time of declining enrollment and help high-skilled immigrants from countries like India and China avoid lengthy visa application backlogs. There are major partisan divides over the immigration provisions.