News Round Up 6/23/ – 6/29/2025 Part 6

Key Developments

Stricter H-1B wage thresholds and specialty occupation definitions impact tech firms.

OPT restrictions deter international students, pushing them to Canada and the UK.
The backlog for Indian nationals in EB-2 categories exceeds 10 years due to per-country caps in 2023.

EB-1 green cards offer a 2–4 year path, with priority date transfers enabling faster approvals Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram, 2024.

Implications

For Immigrants: STEM professionals face barriers, but EB-1 offers a faster path for qualified leaders.

For Policymakers: Backlogs highlight the need for immigration reform, such as increasing visa caps.

For Businesses: Talent shortages threaten innovation and competitiveness.

Economic Impact: Reduced STEM talent could cost billions in GDP.

Quotes and Perspectives

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO: “H-1B visas are a great program for innovation. Restrictions hurt our ability to compete globally” X post.

Simon Marginson, Oxford Professor: “International education has sustained the STEM areas—physics, chemistry, engineering, and math” The Guardian.

Chris M. Ingram, Immigration Attorney: “The EB-1 is self-sponsored and requires the highest levels of achievement, but for STEM leaders, it’s a faster path to permanent residency” Law Offices of Chris M. Ingram.

Varun Singh, XIPHIAS Immigration: “The green card backlog is a direct result of outdated country-specific quotas. The system allots the same number of green cards to India as to countries with far fewer applicants” Business Standard.