Tough Times for Indian Students in the U.S. Amid Trump-Era Visa Curbs

Every year, over two and a half lakh Indian students go to the United States for their Master’s degrees. A significant number among them are from the Telugu states as well. Many of them complete their higher education in the U.S. and secure jobs there. However, the situation has changed over the last two years. Last year, IT companies laid off employees on a large scale. Recently, tech giant Microsoft has prepared to lay off as many as 9,000 employees. In addition to this, due to the chaos caused by U.S. President Donald Trump, students are now facing a major crisis. At this time, many are struggling with the dilemma of whether it is appropriate to go to the U.S. or not. In this context, it must be said that Trump is creating even more confusion by frequently issuing new orders. U.S. authorities have announced that they have resumed accepting visa applications from foreign students who wish to study in America. At the same time, a strict warning has been issued to students by the United States.

Foreign Affairs representative Mignon Houston stated that students must strictly adhere to the purpose for which they obtained the visa. They should focus on studies alone and must not engage in activities like disrupting classes, damaging campuses, or quitting studies to take part in other activities. She clarified that every decision by their government is made with national security in mind. She also mentioned that these measures are not just to protect American citizens but also to safeguard other students who are studying alongside them. Student visas were temporarily halted for a few days for social media vetting processes and have now resumed. Simultaneously, warnings were issued stating that students must act in line with the stated purpose of their visit. Those who newly apply for student visas to the U.S. must mandatorily set their social media accounts to public view. If not, their applications will definitely be rejected, they clarified. Now, not only will the visa be rejected, but gaining entry into the U.S. later will also become difficult.

Along with this, the Trump administration is preparing to impose time limits on student visas. Students have expressed concerns that if this comes into effect, it will create even more confusion. If the Trump government imposes time restrictions on student visas, it will impact those residing in the U.S. on F1 and J1 visas. The Trump administration has begun efforts to quickly implement these time-limit regulations on student visas. While many who have already completed their MS degrees are facing difficulties in securing IT jobs, Donald Trump is now continuously imposing new restrictions on students as well—pushing them further into confusion.