Fear, uncertainty grip Indian students amidst Trump’s immigration crackdown

Students are worried about the tightening job market that favours local hires now, the dwindling H-1B visa sponsorships and an immigration system sidelining international students.
| Photo Credit: REUTER`S

For decades, the United States has been a dream destination for Indian students, who are drawn by its world-class education, career opportunities and the promise of a better future. However, under the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies, this dream has become a challenging ordeal for many.

From visa rejections and increased scrutiny to uncertainty surrounding work permits, students now face an uphill battle to secure their future. As the new policies roll out, many students find themselves caught in a web of anxiety and financial strain, forcing them to rethink their aspirations in a land that once promised endless possibilities.

Tough visa sponsorship

“President Trump’s stress on localisation has made visa sponsorships by employers very difficult. Jobs have become elusive. I never thought that things could turn this bad,” says Sai Aparna, who lives in Cleveland in Ohio and has actively been looking for a job for the past one year, but in vain. A computer science graduate from GITAM deemed to be University in Visakhapatnam, she pursued a Master’s in Information Systems in the U.S. with the hope that a degree from an American University would be her ticket to a better future. Despite her impressive academic record, Ms. Aparna finds herself struggling to land a job in the U.S.

Students are worried about the tightening job market that now favours local hires, the dwindling H-1B visa sponsorships and an immigration system sidelining international students.

Desperation and anxiety

The restrictions imposed on off-campus part-time jobs has hit hard a major chunk of the international students. “There is no way we can think of taking a chance as personnel from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are on the prowl all the time, and we have learnt that they are in no mood to hear any excuses. Any attempt to find work outside the university campus may land us in deep trouble, and we may be deported,” says Inampudi Prashant, who enrolled in Arizona State University for a master’s degree in electrical engineering in December 2024.

He says many students around him are anxious and depressed. After facing the ordeal of standing in serpentine queues for four days in a row for a job post at the university library and being told at the end of the fifth day that the vacancy had been filled, he has little hope left for a decent job. He is now ready to even take up the task of gathering fallen leaves on the university campus, as long as it pays him a few dollars, which would help him meet his expenses.

Manjusha Nuthi is a native of Bapatla and a computer science graduate from a college in Narsaraopet. After facing a visa rejection in 2023, her joy knew no bounds when she finally got the embassy nod and landed in the land of her dreams in December last year. But, she had to give up her part-time job at a gas station as she is on F1 visa, and an off-campus part-time job is not legal.

“My father is a farmer, and I can’t afford to ask him for any more money. I cut corners to make do with minimum resources here,” she says. “I have a bank loan of ₹30 lakh to clear and in this scenario, I have no clue how I will be able to do it,” she says.

A student of Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri, Ms. Manjusha shares an accommodation with seven other students, who along with her, have their fingers crossed, hoping to see the situation easing out in the days to come.

From pride to burden

For middle class families, sending a child to the U.S. for higher education has always been a matter of pride. But, in the current circumstances, the hard-earned money invested in their future is turning into a financial burden for them. Worst is the plight of parents who have already spent lakhs of rupees on tuition and living expenses of their children and are now forced to send additional funds to cover their rent, groceries and other essentials.

The situation is a wake-up call for those lacking in financial planning of their wards, feel overseas education consultants. “Overstaying in a country after the lapse of visa is illegal in any country. Only that it is strictly being implemented now by the Trump government in the U.S.,” says Raj Nunna, founder and managing director of Unilix Overseas Pvt. Ltd. in Vijayawada.

Admitting that there is almost a 40 % drop in enquiries for the U.S. by aspirants seeking education abroad, he says most people now look for European countries such as the U.K., Germany, Ireland Italy and France.

Indira Lella, head of the Vijayawada branch of UniXperts resonates his views. She cites a 70 % dip in the demand for U.S. Universities. “But, the declining trend started much before Donald Trump took over the reigns of power, and it could be attributed to a number of aspects,” she says, adding: “However, some changes are for the good, as this would lead to a more streamlined and purposeful approach to studying abroad.”