On October 30, 2023, President Biden issued “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” Section 5 of the order, “Promoting Innovation and Competition,” includes various immigration-related provisions. For example, the order:

  • Calls for the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to streamline processing times of visa petitions and applications, including by ensuring timely availability of visa appointments, for noncitizens who seek to travel to the United States to work on, study, or conduct research in artificial intelligence (AI) or other critical and emerging technologies; and facilitate continued availability of visa appointments in sufficient volume for applicants with expertise in AI or other critical and emerging technologies;
  • Calls for the Secretary of State to consider initiating a rulemaking to establish new criteria to designate countries and skills on the Department of State’s exchange visitor skills list as it relates to the 2-year foreign residence requirement for certain J-1 nonimmigrants, including those skills that are critical to the United States;
  • Calls for the Secretary of State to consider implementing a domestic visa renewal program to facilitate the ability of qualified applicants, including highly skilled talent in AI and critical and emerging technologies, to continue their work in the United States without unnecessary interruption;
  • Calls for the Secretary of State to establish a program to identify and attract top talent in AI and other critical and emerging technologies at universities, research institutions, and the private sector overseas, and to establish and increase connections with that talent to educate them on opportunities and resources for research and employment in the United States, including overseas educational components to inform top STEM talent of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa options and potential expedited adjudication of their visa petitions and applications;
  • Calls for the Secretary of Homeland Security to review and initiate any policy changes the Secretary determines necessary and appropriate to clarify and modernize immigration pathways for experts in AI and other critical and emerging technologies, including O-1A and EB-1 noncitizens of extraordinary ability; EB-2 advanced-degree holders and noncitizens of exceptional ability; and startup founders in AI and other critical and emerging technologies, using the International Entrepreneur Rule; and 
  • Calls for the Secretary of Homeland Security to continue its rulemaking process to modernize the H-1B program and enhance its integrity and usage, including by experts in AI and other critical and emerging technologies, and consider a rulemaking to enhance the process for noncitizens, including experts in AI and other critical and emerging technologies and their spouses, dependents, and children, to adjust their status to lawful permanent resident.

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