The study of National Association of Foreign Student Advisers has the opinion that global students made a contribution of $39 billion to the US economy in the academic year of 2017-2018.
The study
Moreover, it found that the economic activity of overseas students supported 455,000 American jobs. Additionally, 65 top universities in the USA have come forward to challenge the Trump administration and have filed a suit in the court. This measure is against new strict visa policy for overseas students. It is also a warning regarding the new rule of backdating which has a negative effect on the US higher education.
The US administration had announced a new policy in August which put a restriction on the visa overstay. Under the immigration policy, a person is not authorized to remain in the country on the expiry of a visa. Actually, after that, the period of illegal presence starts. After elapsing of six months, this individual can be forcibly returned, to the country of origin. Additionally, there will be a ban for three years.
A retroactive starting date
After these new rules, the Homeland Security Department can place a retroactive starting date for illegal presence which starts on the day after the person completes the degree program or on the day of expiry of the visa. These institutions signed an amicus brief and have questioned the new rule which forces the visa-holders among students to make a hard choice. They say that the new policy renders thousands of visa holders in F, J and M categories in a tough position. They face a re-entry bar of three to 10-year without any chance to cope up.
These 65 institutions urged the Federal Court to give them motion for a preliminary injunction. This new rule harms not only the global students/ scholars but also the institutions hosting them.
This will moreover, result in less international students, scholars and instructors. This briefly extended support to Guilford College, in its suit against US Secretary of Homeland Security. It was filed in the District Court, North Carolina.
The benefits of students
These students benefit the nation through their talents, and perspectives, passion and insights. The brief has also argued that a 10 percent increase in the ratio of overseas graduate students to overall graduate students has the result of a 5.1 percent increase in the granting of patents. International students also make a healthy contribution to the US economy, even after the period of enrollment is ever. Even the startup companies, valued at US D 1 billion, had a good share of businesses, when the founder initially arrived in the USA, as an international student.
Clerical errors
Finally, there is a possibility that exchange visitors and students can face trouble owing to technical and clerical errors. In most, the breach cannot be determined, because the F, M, and J regulations are not clear and subject to changeable interpretations.
Thus such bans have a shocking and immediate consequence for students to study. The student will face a ban to reenter the US even for conducting business purposes, or seeing a child. Furthermore, this new rule will reduce the ability to compete for attracting global students.
