Temporary US visa holders in Washington to get subsidised tuition

Under the new House Bill 1487, which is to be introduced on 1 July, foreigners working in the US state of Washington on certain temporary US visas such as H-1B visas will receive the same subsidized tuition fee charges as American citizens. Low-cost tuition fees will also apply to the workers' spouses and dependants.

The bill has been nicknamed the ‘Microsoft Subsidy Bill’ and has caused some controversy, but has been passed through the House and the Senate as a good way to help large international firms in Washington attract foreign talent to come and work in the US. Currently, 13 other states offer some subsidised tuition for foreign workers and the Washington bill is intended to help the state compete with these.

Under the plans, an immigrant state resident will pay $7,677 for a years tuition at the University of Washington, which compares to the £24,352 that was payable before the subsidy scheme.

Lydia Tamez, Microsoft’s director of global migration, says the new bill allows spouses, who often cannot work under their US marriage visas, to study while they are living in the US.

She explains, "these are people who are here lawfully, and are going to be here for a long period of time. It makes it affordable for workers who are your neighbors, pay taxes, buy homes and whose kids hang around with your kids to possibly earn a second degree at night."