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My question is why this visa limiting to STEM majors only? What about business and finance majors? Aren't business students likely to start a company too?

mkramlich 16y ago
I think one aspect of an answer to that is that they are less likely to have product-building skills, and also they are more likely to create or contribute to what you might call the shyster/shenanigans part of the economy (see Wall Street, the "Financial Crisis of 2008", etc.) rather than making real things people want in exchange for an honest price. Speaking in general terms, of course. Also, they are less likely to create some new innovation or breakthrough that gives the US a tech edge. Also, for a STEM person, it's generally easier for them to learn business and do the things truly needed in that area, than it is to go in the reverse direction. (Again, speaking in aggregate terms, and understanding there are always individual and exceptional cases in every direction.)
avichal 16y ago
2 reasons: 1) The goal of the bill is to hang on to entrepreneurs who will generate new value and create new jobs. To drive "real value" you have to improve business productivity, make information accessible that wasn't accessible before, automate things that were hard to automate previously, etc. These are almost always technical accomplishments first. 2) There is an oversupply of people on the business side and an undersupply of people on the engineering side. For the US to stay competitive it has to hang on to the technical talent.
- Hubbert 16y ago
  2) is factually incorrect: http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html Or visit an Engineering Society of Detroit career fair.
Hubbert 16y ago
Because we are politically powerless. This the wage for an entry-level programmer/engineer at $36,667: $30k/year salary and $20k "investment." In contrast, the American Medical Association (AMA) restricts the number of medical schools to keep doctors' wages high. As to why not business majors: 1. Nobody has spent decades building a propaganda base for "business major shortage" 2. Many more donors / politicians have a business major in the family to protect; relatively few have personal experience with a mysterious "STEM graduate."

mkramlich 16y ago

I think one aspect of an answer to that is that they are less likely to have product-building skills, and also they are more likely to create or contribute to what you might call the shyster/shenanigans part of the economy (see Wall Street, the "Financial Crisis of 2008", etc.) rather than making real things people want in exchange for an honest price. Speaking in general terms, of course. Also, they are less likely to create some new innovation or breakthrough that gives the US a tech edge. Also, for a STEM person, it's generally easier for them to learn business and do the things truly needed in that area, than it is to go in the reverse direction. (Again, speaking in aggregate terms, and understanding there are always individual and exceptional cases in every direction.)

avichal 16y ago

2 reasons: 1) The goal of the bill is to hang on to entrepreneurs who will generate new value and create new jobs. To drive "real value" you have to improve business productivity, make information accessible that wasn't accessible before, automate things that were hard to automate previously, etc. These are almost always technical accomplishments first. 2) There is an oversupply of people on the business side and an undersupply of people on the engineering side. For the US to stay competitive it has to hang on to the technical talent.

Hubbert 16y ago
2) is factually incorrect: http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html Or visit an Engineering Society of Detroit career fair.

Hubbert 16y ago

Because we are politically powerless. This the wage for an entry-level programmer/engineer at $36,667: $30k/year salary and $20k "investment." In contrast, the American Medical Association (AMA) restricts the number of medical schools to keep doctors' wages high. As to why not business majors: 1. Nobody has spent decades building a propaganda base for "business major shortage" 2. Many more donors / politicians have a business major in the family to protect; relatively few have personal experience with a mysterious "STEM graduate."