Contact: Louisa Tavlas
Mobile: 571-527-6403
Email: ltavlas@niskanencenter.org
Washington, D.C. September 13, 2024 — The Niskanen Center is proud to endorse S.4301, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). This legislation grants states the authority to waive the two-year foreign residence requirement for educators in rural and Tribal areas.
Modeled after the highly successful Conrad-30 J-1 program for foreign physicians, this bill allows states and Indian tribes to retain teachers here on the J-1 visa if they commit to serving in a rural or Tribal area for at least three years. The legislation allocates up to 30 waivers per state annually, preventing these educators from having to leave the U.S. when their visas expire.
“The impact of a program like this cannot be overstated,” said Cecilia Esterline, immigration research analyst at the Niskanen Center. “There are tens of thousands of vacant full-time teaching positions right now, and a concerning shortage of qualified teachers in rural and Tribal areas. We must embrace innovative solutions like S.4301 before a teacher shortage escalates into a childhood education crisis.”
According to the State Department, 5,800 teachers were on J-1 visas in the 2022-2023 school year. These teachers provide critical support to U.S. schools, especially in underserved rural areas. By passing this bill, states will be able to retain experienced educators already working in the U.S., filling vital roles in understaffed schools.
The Niskanen Center is a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization established in 2014 to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process.
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