Rule proposed by the government for the student sector

The Trump administration’s ideals regarding employment, sovereignty, social security and public order have allowed it to modify multiple policies and implement rules that directly affect the immigration sector of the US.

In fact, the current administration has implemented more than 400 changes to the immigration system since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, some more noticeable than others.

Apart from that, the sudden arrival of the global COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly contributed to his government being able to increase restrictions on legal immigration processes and substantially curb the entry of foreigners.

Speaking specifically about the education sector, the Trump administration, through entities such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has attempted to restrict the entry of foreign students, increasing requirements and restrictions.

For instance, at the end of September 2020, the Trump administration proposed a new rule, stating that international students can no longer have permits with “duration of status” (no deadline), but must apply for a student visa with a fixed time period, either 2 or 4 years.

This rule unleashed a gigantic social controversy, mainly because almost no student, local or foreign, complete their studies in less than 4 years. It usually takes longer due to multiple circumstances.

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The US loses prestige and talent without foreign students

The reason why the Trump administration is proposing this rule is to prevent foreigners from 59 countries from staying in the US after completing their studies or from using student programs such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) fraudulently.

However, it is extremely important to understand implications of this rule to prevent long-term repercussions.

If this rule takes effect:

• International students will have to renew their visas every two years, which can take more than 8 months due to backlog of immigration applications.
• The immigration system would saturate even more due to applications from foreign students.
• Implementing this rule would tremendously affect local tax-paying population, since the investment to comply with the Trump administration’s immigration policies is quite high. For example, for this rule, the annual investment would be approximately $237 million.

Due to these implications, foreign students will no longer see the US as a favorable destination.

What are the repercussions of that?

Investment by foreign students in universities and colleges is approximately $41 billion, a figure that greatly benefits the student sector.

Adding to that, educational institutions state that foreign students also bring talent, innovation, expertise, dedication, intelligence, research and regularly become extremely competent and qualified workers, which helps the socioeconomic development of the US.

However, the rule of the Trump administration would definitely lower the number of international students entering the country, which would reduce profits for local universities and affect sectors such as science, technology and research.

Contact Motion Law for your immigration case

Aside from keeping you up to date with the latest immigration news, the Motion Law team is highly qualified to guide you during and through your immigration journey in the US.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.