Awareness and Matchmaking
Increasing awareness and use of the Research Scholar visa among U.S. companies, higher education institutions, STEM researchers, immigration attorneys and economic development organizations by building ResearcherUSA.com, a go-to resource on the STEM research initiative, and STEMTalentConnect.com, an online portal that matches U.S. research institutions and companies with international STEM researchers who are seeking research-related employment opportunities in the U.S.
Recipient(s)
Cultural Vistas and American Immigration Council (partnering with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the Institute for International Education (IEE))
Increasing the uptake of the Researcher Scholar visa in 2025 through marketing efforts and direct sponsorship of visas. As an official Exchange Visitor Program sponsor, Cultural Vistas is on track during the one year grant period to expand sponsorship of participants in the Research Scholar category hosted by companies.
Recipient(s)
Expanding awareness and use of the Research Scholar visa in 2026 among early-stage U.S. startups through educational resources, outreach, and an AI-enabled decision-support tool. As a State Department designated Exchange Visitor Program sponsor, Cultural Vistas will help startups, researchers, and ecosystem partners better understand and utilize this pathway to access global STEM talent, reducing barriers to participation and enabling more companies to host international researchers while advancing the program’s core mission of mutual exchange, enabling U.S. teams and international researchers to exchange knowledge, professional practices and cultural perspectives.
Recipient(s)
Maximizing awareness and utilization of the Research Scholar visa program by amplifying the reach and impact of STEMTalentConnect.com, an online portal that connects U.S. research institutions and companies with international STEM researchers seeking research-related employment opportunities in the United States. This initiative will target foreign-born STEM research candidates, and U.S. companies to increase candidate registrations and employer engagement with the online portal. It will also involve partnering with EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State's network of 400 advising centers in more than 170 countries, in order to expand outreach for international STEM professionals to come to the U.S. to be hosted by companies.
Recipient(s)
IAESTE U.S. (partnering with Cultural Vistas and EducationUSA)
Place-Based and Regional Strategies
Expanding access to the Research Scholar visa pathway by empowering small to mid-sized business and underrepresented communities in emerging STEM hubs. This initiative will leverage the Council’s established relationships with mayors, governors, business coalitions, and chambers of commerce across 30 states, including its Global Talent Chamber Network, to increase adoption and facilitate broader participation in the Research Scholar program.
Recipient(s)
Equipping rural community leaders with the tools, knowledge, and skills to attract and retain foreign-born advanced STEM degree graduates of U.S. universities in rural communities. This initiative involves conducting workshops and providing training on navigating existing visa pathways to retain international tech talent. Additionally, ongoing support will be provided to communities planning to or implementing international tech talent visa pilot programs, empowering them to develop sustainable, long-term strategies.
Recipient(s)
In 2025, accelerating the attraction and retention of foreign-born STEM degree graduates of U.S. universities and STEM professionals within high demand, critical industries by establishing industry centers of excellence in Manufacturing Technology, Life Sciences, and Healthcare in regional hubs. InSpring will utilize a place-based approach to increase the awareness of existing immigration pathways among employers in regional hubs, including partnering with Path Immigration to promote the O-1A Eligibility Checker. inSpring will enhance the employability of foreign-born STEM professionals, leading to greater retention of this talent regionally. This initiative also includes the deployment of placed-based and industry-based STEM Ambassadors who will amplify their experience leveraging the full range of immigration pathways in order to promote the employment and retention of foreign-born STEM professionals in the regions.
Recipient(s)
In 2026, accelerating the placement and retention of foreign-trained physicians in high-need U.S. healthcare systems, particularly in rural communities and primary care specialties such as Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Through a place-based, employer-focused approach, inSpring will work with hospitals to increase awareness and effective use of existing immigration pathways, while addressing key barriers to physician mobility, including licensure navigation, professional readiness, and pathway compliance. This initiative aims to activate a scalable and replicable model that strengthens employer confidence in hiring international physicians and enables foreign-trained doctors to transition successfully into the U.S. healthcare workforce, improving access to care in underserved regions.
Recipient(s)
Launching a Science and Technology (S&T) Ecosystems portfolio to strengthen the U.S. S&T talent pipeline by identifying place-based opportunities to retain and integrate international STEM graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. This initiative supports FAS’s effort to strengthen its role in science policy by building organizational capacity and developing strategies to better leverage existing STEM talent pathways. The project will connect international STEM talent to regional innovation ecosystems and contribute to a more robust national S&T infrastructure.
Recipient(s)
Retention of International University Students and Graduates
Launching the first-of-its kind national organization, internationalstudent.us, offering international students, scholars, and researchers completing programs in the U.S. free access to reliable, up-to-date immigration information and rapid expert guidance. By addressing critical gaps in knowledge around work authorization, graduate pathways, and long-term status options, the Center will help more students have agency as they explore their options and strengthen the country’s global talent pipeline.
Recipient(s)
Producing resources and working with university leadership to educate non-citizen students and alumni on immigration pathways to pursue employment in the U.S. after graduation. The Presidents' Alliance has launched a comprehensive resource hub: www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/lptw/.
Bringing together leaders of international student retention programs from across the United States to learn best practices and enhance their programs to better retain international students in the U.S. post-graduation.
Recipient(s)
Eligibility Screening, Filing Preparation Services, and Processing Transparency
Developing a screening tool for non-citizen university students and graduates that educates potential applicants about employment-based immigration pathways. The tool will connect students and graduates with legal case management platforms so that applicants can receive rapid holistic screenings by immigration lawyers. The tool will initially focus on assessing whether applicants are eligible for the H-1B visa and require a D-3 waiver of inadmissibility.
Recipient(s)
Creating a publicly accessible, interactive data dashboard that tracks U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing times, backlogs, completion rates, and approval rates across visa and immigration pathways. Using USCIS quarterly reports and related datasets, the tool will allow users to filter and compare data by form type, category, and time period, making trends easier to understand and apply. Immigration attorneys, researchers, policymakers, and advocates will use the dashboard to set client expectations, identify more predictable visa options, and advocate for targeted reforms. Quarterly updates and companion analyses on high-impact forms will ensure the resource remains current, actionable, and influential in shaping improvements to U.S. immigration processing systems.
Recipient(s)
Assessing whether the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has fully implemented the 2022 guidance on O-1A visas, STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT), and National Interest Waivers (NIW). The study will also examine whether USCIS staff require additional training and identify remaining barriers to successful case preparation in utilizing STEM talent policies, including their impact on related pathways, such as the EB-1A green card process.
Recipient(s)
Prototyping and launching O-1A Pathways, an artificial intelligence (AI) powered eligibility checker for O-1A visa status which will also provide suggestions on how O-1 aspirants can enhance their qualifications.
Recipient(s)
Scaling up a customer-focused software product to expedite the preparation of O-1A, EB-1A, and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petitions, educating individuals and companies on employment-based visa pathways, and enhancing prospective candidates’ visa eligibility through curated network connections and partnerships.
Recipient(s)
Global STEM Talent Pipelines
Conducting a feasibility study and investment case to assess market demand, identify global talent pools, and design training and upskilling platforms to expand the use of underutilized immigration pathways in the U.S. for displaced and underrepresented STEM talent outside the U.S. As part of a global initiative launched at a 2024 convening with the Migration Policy Institute and 17 other organizations, this Bellagio Coalition project will produce a toolkit, including a feasibility comparison and implementation plan for existing employment-based U.S. immigration pathways. The toolkit will support STEM talent and U.S. employers in navigating these pathways and will include a targeted dissemination strategy to reach underrepresented STEM talent. This project represents the U.S. component and the first phase of a broader international effort to enhance labor mobility for STEM and future-critical skills.
Recipient(s)
Migration Policy Institute (partnering with a Bellagio Coalition of 18 organizations)
Identifying top STEM talent who are International Math and Science Olympiad winners from the Global South to complete a Master’s degree in Data Science from Vedian College. Upon graduation, each individual will secure a research-related position in the U.S. through the Research Scholar visa.
Recipient(s)
Vedian College (in conjunction with Global Talent Fund)
Identifying, preparing and connecting high-potential STEM graduates from the Global South to U.S. research and graduate pathways through two complementary initiatives. First, STEM for Development will work with U.S. companies and Cenet, a designated Research Scholar sponsor, to place early-career graduates in company-based R&D roles via the Research Scholar visa, supported by pre-placement training in workplace readiness, research communication, and cultural orientation. Second, STEM for Development will partner with the RNA Institute at the University of Albany on a fully virtual co-mentorship model that provides sustained lab engagement, research outputs, and structured professional development, followed by guided applications to U.S. graduate programs in STEM fields. Together, these models increase uptake of existing immigration pathways and offer replicable frameworks for employers and universities to access high-potential talent from the Global South.
Recipient(s)
STEM for Development (partnering with Cenet and the RNA Institute at the University of Albany, SUNY)
