By Aditi Thube
Boston University News Service
International students in the United States are thinking about what the next four years will hold for them in light of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House. His pledge throughout the campaign to grant green cards to foreign students who graduate from American institutions beginning in June 2024 has inspired enthusiasm and hope. This promise might be a game-changer for the thousands of foreign students who come to study in America in the hopes of beginning careers here, removing some of the most anxiety-inducing uncertainties they encounter.
The recent statements, however, raise the possibility of broad changes to other aspects of immigration law, which would restrict prospects for prospective overseas students and cause issues for current ones. In a Washington event from Sept. 19,Trump made a statement about restoring restrictions, including banning travel to some countries with a majority of Muslims, stopping the resettlement of refugees and lowering the total amount of legal immigration.
If these measures are put into effect, international students may face a mixed future, with stricter entry and employment limitations counterbalanced by the prospect of a more straightforward road to permanent residency.
Green Cards at Graduation: A Potential Game-Changer
The idea of giving green cards to U.S. university graduates is at the heart of Trump’s campaign pledge to international students. This would provide a simple route to residency and enable them to begin their professions without the obstacles of the existing visa application process.
Depending on their field of study, international students can currently work temporarily on an OPT visa for a period of one to three years. Many people view the OPT period as a springboard to the H-1B visa, a competitive, lottery-based work visa that only a small percentage of applicants are granted.
By eliminating a lot of the stress related to the lottery system and the OPT expiration, the green card plan will make the U.S. a more inviting place for students seeking a clear route to permanent residency.
Maria Lee, a Chinese student studying at Boston University, said, “I’ve been here four years and the uncertainty about the next steps has always been overwhelming.”
Darshan Patel, and Indian student, said he feels the same way. “It would change my life to get a green card right out of college,” he said. “The visa application procedure has always been risky, even though many of us come here to study in the hopes of establishing a profession. This might completely eliminate that obstacle.”
In fact, the prospect of receiving a green card upon graduation may greatly allay the fears of innumerable students who worry that they will have to leave the country even if they have spent years studying and making plans for the future. If put into effect, this strategy might increase the U.S.’s appeal to international students globally, putting it in competition with nations like Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, who now provide comparable residency options for foreign students.
Restrictive Immigration Plans Loom Over the Horizon
Recent reports indicate that Trump’s aides are also debating ideas that will curb legal immigration in other ways, despite the promise of green cards for graduates. One of these measures might be the reinstatement of the travel restriction on a number of nations with a majority of Muslims. This would cause disruptions to the lives of students from those countries, making it impossible for them to travel home or to the U.S. while they’re studying.
Additionally, there is discussion about completely stopping refugee resettlement, which would affect not only refugees but also potential international students who might apply for asylum or other types of protection. Despite offering graduates new options, these possible changes could make the U.S. seem less hospitable.
There are also plans to temporarily halt green card applications in categories that currently have backlogs, perhaps targeting employment-based green cards as part of the proposed immigration curbs. This might affect companies that depend significantly on foreign labor as well as students who want to remain in the U.S. for an extended period of time.
It’s unclear if the green card strategy will make up for the potential obstacles provided by more expansive immigration restrictions, given Trump’s prior support for the RAISE Act, a plan to cut legal immigration in half. The RAISE Act would have affected employment-based immigration, a key route for many international students wishing to remain in the U.S., by reducing the number of green cards from over one million to roughly 500,000.
Balancing Hope and Uncertainty
International students are juggling caution and optimism in the wake of Trump’s win. The possibility of an instant green card provides stability and the opportunity to begin working in the U.S. with significantly less red tape for people who are almost finished with their education. However, the wider debates surrounding restricted immigration policies have sparked worries about what the future holds for students who are just starting their education.
Employers, students and colleges will be closely monitoring these events as Trump’s administration takes shape. It will become clear in the upcoming months whether Trump’s pledge to issue green cards will be fulfilled or if the new limits will provide new difficulties.
For the time being, international students are still pursuing their education and goals while negotiating a setting that is both full of opportunities and possible obstacles.
