China News Service, April 30 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to compete with Russian President Vladimir Putin for outstanding innovation talent by waiving some visa requirements for Russians, people familiar with the matter said.
Data map: US President Biden.
The White House's latest supplemental request to Congress includes a proposal to remove the requirement that Russian professionals have a current employer to apply for employment visas.
The proposal says it would apply to Russian citizens who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics in the U.S. or abroad.
A spokesman for the National Security Council confirmed that the move was aimed at weakening Putin's high-tech resources in the short term and Russia's innovation base in the long run, while benefiting the U.S. economy and national security.
Specifically, the Biden administration wants to make it easier for top Russian talent with extensive experience in semiconductors, space technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, advanced computing, nuclear engineering, artificial intelligence, missile propulsion technology and other specialized sciences to move to the U.S. .
In recent weeks, the United States and some G7 allies have also discussed granting protected status to Russian scientists, including those working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the United States and its allies have continuously increased sanctions on Russia, while providing a large amount of military assistance to Ukraine.
Russia has also taken some countermeasures.