Effects of President’s Policies on International Students

U.S. President Donald Trump is uncertain; this is the only thing that is certain about him. There are some signs that Trump may make difficult policies for those students who want to study in the U.S. or who are planning to stay in the U.S. after completing graduation.

Among all the international students, especially Muslims, have to worry about it. Throughout his Presidency, he had made it very clear that he will check a thorough background of all Muslim students. This policy is known as “extreme vetting.” Hence this can turn international students away from universities in the U.S. It will also make it difficult for students to get their visas to approve at the U.S. embassies.

A report also showed that at some point, Donald Trump said that he would ban all the Muslims students coming to the U.S. But as this is against the U.S. constitution so he cannot make any law like this. This policy will affect the number of international students coming to universities in the United States. Saudi Arabia is the country that sends the third-largest number of students. Therefore universities of the United States have to face consequences of Trump’s policies on international students.

Financial Loss of Universities

There are thousands of international students in U.S. universities. If the enrollment of international students will decrease, then universities will have to face financial difficulties. Some universities may shut down. If colleges and universities shut down, then nearby communities like restaurants, hotels, and many others will also have to suffer.

Currently, the U.S. is earning thirty billion dollars from international students. Since this amount is decreasing, so are the jobs in the U.S. But it is against the pledge that he took as a president that he will create many jobs.

Students in the U.S. have more debts as compared to 2008 since there are fewer jobs. And also, many parents are backing away from enrolling their children in colleges. Therefore many colleges are looking for students who can pay their full tuition fees. Colleges depend on the diverse perspectives that students bring and the amount of money they spend.

Loss of Valuable Talent

The biggest challenge in front of students is to work and stay in the U.S. after completing their graduation. Some experts commented that “the country is losing valuable talent because of restrictive visa regulations.” Nearly more than fifty percent of universities signed a letter to President Trump to remove a highly controversial ban on immigrants, especially from Muslim countries.

Meanwhile, various industry leaders emphasized policymakers the need for more talent in advanced industries. As for several years, U.S. universities remained a source of brightest talent. But now the situation is reversed. Vivek Wadhwa, an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said, “foreign students from different countries are returning to their homes to start some businesses. This situation is alarming for the country as it will impact U.S. innovation.

Advantages Taken by Other Countries

According to data by CB Insights, its share of tech unicorns dropped in recent years. Compared to the U.S., China is home to thirty-six percent of tech unicorns. If we keep following this path, soon China will outperform to the United Nations in artificial intelligence and gene editing to quantum computing.

Since the United Nations closed its gates for talent, other countries are entirely using these opportunities. Last year France introduced a new tech program. President Emmanuel Macron is aiming to make France a “startup nation.” While on the other side, China will also invest 150 billion dollars in artificial intelligence by 2030.

A famous entrepreneur and founder of Techstars, David Brown, stated, “in the wake of our administration‘s policies, it is becoming easier for other countries to fill the gap.” Meanwhile, Canada launched a program to fast track the visas for highly skilled international workers. Nearly within the week after the implementation of Trump’s immigration policies, more than hundreds of companies like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Google opposed it.

So the policy of immigration drafted by President Donald Trump might prove useful in the short-run, but it cannot always serve best the United States in the long run.