If you had any dreams to study in the US, forget about them- the Trump administration is back with more visa tantrums.
Our little birdies at Washington Post are to be believed (and hell yes, we believe them), “Senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security are floating a proposal that would require foreign students to reapply for permission to stay in the United States every year, a controversial move that would create new costs and paperwork for thousands of visa holders from China, India and other nations, according to two federal officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.”
Should That Make Us Worry?
Yes, it should. It means that it is just going to get more cumbersome to enjoy a hassle-free student life experience. The current student visa guarantees that you can stay in the US for the full duration of your registered course and then enjoy a buffer of 60 days to arrange for departure.
Only if do you stay out of US for more than 5 months in between your course for non-academic related issues does your US student visa lapse. Else, there is no storm brewing on the western front.
In fact, if your academic necessities make it necessary for you overstay your duration, you can stay in the US until your course is officially over and then avail 60 more days from that end-date to legally depart.
Under the new system, you will be required to undergo the whole get-your-visa-approved shebang every 365 days, failing which you will be simply asked to forget your American dreams.
Quoting from Hindustan Times, “An estimated 166,000 Indians were enrolled in US colleges in 2016, and together with those from China, accounted for 47% of all foreign students in America, according to Open Door, a government-funded body that studies and tracks international students and scholars.”
The statistics are clearly not in favour of this move, if the Trump government decides to pull this stunt on immigrant students, they will further lower the dwindling number of applications these universities are receiving from Asian students.
Also Read: Did Indian Americans Really Think They Would Not Be Affected By Trump’s Policies?
Is It Really Going To Happen?
If racial hostility wasn’t enough to scare away the crème-della-crème of Asian academia from seeking better opportunities abroad, this certainly seals the deal against the US. Needless to say, if staying in the US is made out to be such a dicey game, not many will sign up of the uphill saga their student life will mutate into.
The Washington Post folks further state, “Officials caution that the plan is in the preliminary stages and would require regulatory changes that could take a minimum of 18 months. The plan may also require agreement from the State Department, which issues visas. The officials say the proposal seeks to enhance national security by more closely monitoring the students.”
Seriously, What Are You So Afraid Of Trump Government?
We bite way less than your own citizens do. Indians are responsible for generating billions worth of revenue for the US every year and such stringent policies will alienate them further away.
This, coupled with the recent news of delaying US startup visas that would prove the residence of entrepreneurs whose companies are based in the US, will be a heavy blow to the diversity and the balance of economy in America.
If Trump clamps down on immigration with such sternness, he will be making America poorer by the day on its American-ness. The cosmopolitan boiling pot is running dry, and this sounds like a “lose-lose” for the US. Did Modi’s recent visit really bring Trump to this?
Yikes. Let’s see what unfolds.
Read More:
http://edtimes.in/2017/06/great-indian-american-dream-dead/
