US International Students Lose Internships Because of Outdated Work Policies
I would highly encourage international students to reconsider their plans of studying in the US. I am coming from my own personal experience, but as you can read from this thread or any immigration forum, the policies of the current administration are increasingly hostile towards immigrants. Especially, Chinese and Indian students should rethink. Few reasons why not to study in the US:1. USCIS has made the OPT process increasingly difficult as yo u can read from this article. However, OPT is the only option if you want to work in the US post graduation. Chances of getting an employer prior to graduation, who can file your H1 in April and wait for you to join in October is close to zero2. H1 visa is a crapshoot lottery and if you are not a STEM student, you will most likely get one shot at it. If you are not picked, that's the end of it3. Even if you get selected in H1, 70% of cases result in RFE for BS reasons that a hostile USCIS agent made up on the spot. H1 laws are so vague that a rogue USCIS officer can make up any reason to deny your petition.4. Even if you get an approved H1 petition, it comes with a ton of strings attached. And if you travel out of the country you have to get a visa from your home country or Canada or Mexico. The visa process also been made extremely difficult, with routine delays and 3-6 months wait in many cases. Imagine being stuck abroad and having to let your employer know that they have to wait months before you can be back.5. If you are an Indian student currently, the path to green card simply doesn't exist. There is a 100 year wait for a green card6. Points #1-5 above are not bugs, but features. US education only makes sense for rich students, who want to study for a few years and return. But then, why would you want to study in the US and deal with the harassment in US consulates and embassies to get an F-1 visa or deal with hostile CBP agents who treat you like enemies after flying for 40 hours.