Applying for an F-1 visa under the Trump administration

[ironheart]

Hi everyone! Just wanted to hear your thoughts about this: how do you think the visa process will change under the Trump administration? I was accepted into Columbia and still waiting for my I-20. I know I shouldn't be nervous, seeing as I have all the pertinent documents (financial and to prove non-immigrant intent), but I'm wondering if there will be some belt tightening at State because of the new president's position on student visas (especially with H1-B and OPT).

[Beals]

I am also worried about this- no acceptances yet, so I'm not sure if I'll end up studying in the US, but in the event that I do, I am concerned about visas. Not just getting a visa, but keeping it until I'm finished! 

[TakeruK]

My international student office held a meeting for all international students after the election to address some of these issues. Of course, nothing is certain and especially since the Trump administration isn't very forthcoming with concrete plans/details. However, some takeaway points:

- F-1/J-1 immigration is not one of the Trump administration's main concerns. Their election platform was about removing undocumented immigration and protecting US jobs.

- Law changes take some time to take effect. For example, recently, the F-1 OPT time increase from 27 months to 36 months for STEM majors took about 5 years to go through the whole cycle and that was supposedly a "fast-tracked" change. 

- Basically, things that can be put into effect quickly (e.g. executive orders) can be taken away quickly too but law changes are slow.

Overall, the first/biggest changes are likely to be:

- An executive action to counteract Obama's "DACA" (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

- Reduction in number of H1-Bs (or increased requirements). I've heard that they are considering a plan to make the minimum wage for H1-Bs to be $100,000 (i.e. effectively discouraging many companies/universities to hire H1-Bs at lower level positions).

These things definitely affect academics! But to answer your specific Q on F-1 visas specifically, I don't think there is any reason to expect changes on that soon. F-1 / student visas did not seem to be on their platform and it is not expected that they will focus their early energies on this. Of course, as new students you would be concerned about what happens 4-5 years from now, but many things are uncertain that far out. Things are just a little more uncertain right now due to who's in the White House! We don't know what Congress and Senate will look like after the midterm elections in 2 years and there could be a new President in 4 years. 

I'm not trying to make it sound like everything will be okay. Personally, my biggest worry would be the possibility that Trump issues an executive order halting all immigration of all statuses from certain countries. It doesn't seem likely he'll do this for no reason, but perhaps something might happen that causes him to react in this way. This could happen while you are already in the US, which means if you are from one of these countries, you can't leave the US or you won't be able to come back in.

So, there are certainly lots of valid concerns. But at this point, there seems to be no planned changes to F-1 and J-1 foreign student status. And my personal philosophy is to not make big life decisions based on what might happen in the long run. 

(Finally, note to Beals and other Canadians: We don't have/require visas to enter the US, we just need status instead).

[ironheart]

Thanks for the extensive breakdown of your ideas, @TakeruK! These are essentially what many of my friends studying in the US have said to me (I've had this discussion way too many times with way too many people, haha). My primary concern right now is getting to the US to study in my dream school (which many of my friends have told me, is enough to get me a student visa since it's an Ivy League school) and hopefully things will go smoothly if I start the visa process within the next two months.

[AP]

23 hours ago, TakeruK said:

My international student office held a meeting for all international students after the election to address some of these issues. Of course, nothing is certain and especially since the Trump administration isn't very forthcoming with concrete plans/details. However, some takeaway points:

- F-1/J-1 immigration is not one of the Trump administration's main concerns. Their election platform was about removing undocumented immigration and protecting US jobs.

- Law changes take some time to take effect. For example, recently, the F-1 OPT time increase from 27 months to 36 months for STEM majors took about 5 years to go through the whole cycle and that was supposedly a "fast-tracked" change. 

- Basically, things that can be put into effect quickly (e.g. executive orders) can be taken away quickly too but law changes are slow.

Overall, the first/biggest changes are likely to be:

- An executive action to counteract Obama's "DACA" (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

- Reduction in number of H1-Bs (or increased requirements). I've heard that they are considering a plan to make the minimum wage for H1-Bs to be $100,000 (i.e. effectively discouraging many companies/universities to hire H1-Bs at lower level positions).

These things definitely affect academics! But to answer your specific Q on F-1 visas specifically, I don't think there is any reason to expect changes on that soon. F-1 / student visas did not seem to be on their platform and it is not expected that they will focus their early energies on this. Of course, as new students you would be concerned about what happens 4-5 years from now, but many things are uncertain that far out. Things are just a little more uncertain right now due to who's in the White House! We don't know what Congress and Senate will look like after the midterm elections in 2 years and there could be a new President in 4 years. 

I'm not trying to make it sound like everything will be okay. Personally, my biggest worry would be the possibility that Trump issues an executive order halting all immigration of all statuses from certain countries. It doesn't seem likely he'll do this for no reason, but perhaps something might happen that causes him to react in this way. This could happen while you are already in the US, which means if you are from one of these countries, you can't leave the US or you won't be able to come back in.

So, there are certainly lots of valid concerns. But at this point, there seems to be no planned changes to F-1 and J-1 foreign student status. And my personal philosophy is to not make big life decisions based on what might happen in the long run. 

(Finally, note to Beals and other Canadians: We don't have/require visas to enter the US, we just need status instead).

I think it's going to be harder for us international students going into the job market than for F1 applicants. We are the ones that we'll be "taking" jobs, although academia maybe raided -lack of a better word- altogether. 

[TakeruK]

30 minutes ago, AP said:

I think it's going to be harder for us international students going into the job market than for F1 applicants. We are the ones that we'll be "taking" jobs, although academia maybe raided -lack of a better word- altogether. 

Indeed, I know some of my friends are wondering what the minimum H1-B salary will mean for them when they apply to TT positions or other permanent positions. Typically, industry jobs are above that minimum though, so I guess those folks should be okay. For a postdoc, it's normal to go on J-1 status (unless you were already J-1 grad student), so that should be "protected" for a little bit (maybe enough time for midterm elections to have a Dem. Congress/Senate). 

Canadians also have the option of TN status instead of J-1 or H1-B. But it's not ideal---TN status is basically applied for and approved/denied at the sole discretion of the border officer. 

[ExponentialDecay]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-exclusive-idUSKBN1582XQ

" Another [executive] order will block visas being issued to anyone from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, said the aides and experts, who asked not to be identified. "

[aberrant]

On 1/23/2017 at 10:35 AM, TakeruK said:

- Reduction in number of H1-Bs (or increased requirements). I've heard that they are considering a plan to make the minimum wage for H1-Bs to be $100,000 (i.e. effectively discouraging many companies/universities to hire H1-Bs at lower level positions).

I find this hard to believe. It essentially means being a postdoc on H1-B will get pay better than most TT assistant professors in STEM.

[TK2]

Much simpler  - it's intended to mean there will be no postdocs on H1-B.

[fuzzylogician]

5 hours ago, aberrant said:

I find this hard to believe. It essentially means being a postdoc on H1-B will get pay better than most TT assistant professors in STEM.

Hardly. It'll mean postdocs and also Assistant Profs won't be on H1-Bs, and since that's the main visa at least for TT jobs (and for anyone who was a J-1 as a student, also for postdocs), it just means that international people will have a very hard time getting jobs in the States. 

[TakeruK]

Yeah the minimum wage on H1-B leading to reduced job opportunities for international people are what everyone in my academic circles are worried about. My international friends are worried about losing the opportunity to work in the US and my American friends are worried about what this means for American science.

[aberrant]

Oh so future postdocs will mostly be under J-1 and fewer employments would issue H1-B due to the minimum wage. I really wish the STAPLE act went through, but instead it was 'Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security' since forever.

[DiscoTech]

On 1/29/2017 at 5:01 PM, TakeruK said:

Yeah the minimum wage on H1-B leading to reduced job opportunities for international people are what everyone in my academic circles are worried about. My international friends are worried about losing the opportunity to work in the US and my American friends are worried about what this means for American science.

Trump and rising temperatures means Canada needs to become the new shining city on the hill for science.