Visa holders and postgraduation
In 1996, 62% of temporary visa holder doctorate recipients with definite commitments for a postdoc or other employment reported that the location of their postgraduation position was in the United States. By 2016, that proportion had risen to greater than three-fourths. The share of temporary visa holder doctorate recipients whose definite commitments are in the United States is highest in fields where temporary visa holders are more heavily represented: life sciences, physical sciences and earth sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and engineering.
Temporary visa holder U.S. doctorate recipients with definite commitments for employment in the United States, by broad field of study: 1996–2016
| Year | All fields | Life sciences | Physical sciences and earth sciences | Mathematics and computer sciences | Psychology and social sciences | Engineering | Non-S&E fields |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 61.8 | 64.8 | 76.6 | 71.2 | 39.9 | 71.3 | 38.6 |
| 1997 | 66.8 | 71.5 | 80.0 | 74.0 | 41.8 | 74.9 | 44.9 |
| 1998 | 68.0 | 69.9 | 81.8 | 75.3 | 49.3 | 74.4 | 46.8 |
| 1999 | 69.2 | 72.3 | 81.9 | 76.7 | 52.4 | 77.9 | 46.7 |
| 2000 | 69.6 | 72.7 | 81.8 | 80.9 | 54.3 | 77.8 | 46.4 |
| 2001 | 72.5 | 72.3 | 84.9 | 79.5 | 55.4 | 82.2 | 50.4 |
| 2002 | 70.7 | 71.8 | 82.0 | 78.1 | 55.3 | 77.4 | 54.9 |
| 2003 | 68.4 | 71.9 | 82.9 | 77.2 | 52.8 | 73.1 | 51.7 |
| 2004 | 70.8 | 77.2 | 82.4 | 76.2 | 53.4 | 77.1 | 53.2 |
| 2005 | 73.9 | 79.1 | 84.7 | 80.0 | 55.0 | 80.4 | 56.7 |
| 2006 | 77.7 | 82.0 | 83.6 | 83.1 | 61.0 | 84.8 | 61.7 |
| 2007 | 77.3 | 79.2 | 81.7 | 82.1 | 62.9 | 85.5 | 62.0 |
| 2008 | 78.3 | 80.9 | 82.7 | 81.9 | 61.4 | 84.8 | 68.0 |
| 2009 | 76.9 | 81.3 | 81.2 | 82.3 | 56.9 | 83.3 | 65.9 |
| 2010 | 73.3 | 81.6 | 81.4 | 75.5 | 49.8 | 79.0 | 57.1 |
| 2011 | 74.6 | 80.4 | 79.8 | 78.5 | 55.2 | 80.8 | 58.6 |
| 2012 | 75.0 | 79.1 | 79.8 | 80.2 | 52.8 | 82.5 | 61.1 |
| 2013 | 74.1 | 77.7 | 78.5 | 81.7 | 51.1 | 81.4 | 59.5 |
| 2014 | 75.3 | 79.3 | 77.1 | 82.8 | 52.5 | 83.3 | 61.5 |
| 2015 | 76.8 | 79.7 | 82.7 | 84.4 | 54.0 | 84.6 | 59.5 |
| 2016 | 77.6 | 80.1 | 82.2 | 86.0 | 56.6 | 85.4 | 60.8 |
- S&E = science and engineering.
- NOTES: Definite commitment refers to a doctorate recipient who is either returning to pre-doctoral employment or has signed a contract (or otherwise made a definite commitment) for employment, including postdoc study, in the coming year. Percentages are based on the number of temporary visa holders who reported definite commitments and plans to stay in the United States.
- SOURCE: Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities 2016. Related detailed data: tables 51, 52, 53.
