Amid rising concerns about United States immigration policies, international students at Temple are grappling with the uncertainty of how Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory may reshape their future in the country.
Despite Trump’s promise to offer green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges, he had previously imposed stricter F-1 Student Visa processing and the “America First” agenda — focusing on American students.
Director of International Student Affairs Leah Hetzell noted that the fear of the unknown is palpable and that much of what Trump has proposed remains speculative.
“We don’t know for sure what the new administration will implement,” Hetzell said. “But international students are already contributing millions in tuition and living expenses.”
As the political landscape shifts under the new administration, many international students are left indecisive about their futures in the U.S. The prospect of stricter immigration policies and potential changes to student visa regulations has led to widespread anxiety within this community.
“Personally, I am scared by most of the measures [Trump] wants to implement,” said Andrea Abate, a sophomore theater major from Venezuela.
Abate, like many of her peers, faces the inevitable expiration of her F-1 student visa and the concerns about what comes next.
The F-1 student visa allows for international students to study in the United States based on their accredited colleges, universities or language programs duration — plus a 60-day grace period after completion. Applicants must be full-time students, demonstrate that they can cover tuition and living expenses and prove their intent to return to their home countries after their studies.
“When I finish, I have a couple of months to get a job and if not, I have to return to my country,” Abate said. “Trump’s measures should not affect me or what he is saying he is going to do.”
Before arriving in the U.S. in 2023, Abate navigated the complex process of securing an F-1 visa and considered herself lucky to experience a smooth process, she said.
Even with a relatively painless visa process, Abate feels the pressure of an uncertain future. With her visa valid until 2028, the thought of what happens next — whether she stays to work in the U.S. or returns to Venezuela — is a source of anxiety.
During the first Trump administration, which started in 2017, restrictions on work-based visas were tightened, limiting foreign national’s ability to stay and work in the U.S.
Before signing the executive order, “Buy American, Hire American,” Trump made clear that his administration was determined to enforce the “hire American” rules. These regulations, according to Trump, were designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the U.S.
“H-1 visas should be given to the most skilled and highest paid applicants,” Trump said. “And they should never ever be used to replace American workers.”
Students are currently allowed to stay in the country for up to one year after graduation through a program called Optional Practical Training. As a beneficial tool, OPT allows international students of F-1 immigration status to work in the U.S. in a field related to their degree, providing them with professional experience before returning to their home countries.
Temple’s International Student and Scholar Services office provides students with regular information about OPT and Curricular Practical Training, ensuring that international students understand the processes and the status options available to them afterward, Hetzell said.
However, finding a qualifying job can be difficult, especially in highly competitive fields like finance, business management, communications or engineering — some of Temple’s most notable programs.
The previous Trump administration’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services initially denied a larger percentage of H-1B visa petitions than in the preceding four years, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for fair immigration policies in the United States.
Hetzell recognizes that international students’ contributions extend far beyond the classroom, including diverse perspectives and valuable skills based on their respective majors.
“Sometimes students do go home but there are definitely efforts and energies at play that recognize how important international students are to the U.S economy,” Hetzell said.
Since 2019, the U.S. has seen a fluctuating number of non-immigrant student visas issued, with 364,204 issued in 2019, plummeting to 111,387 in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United States Department of State. By 2023, the number issued bounced back to 445,418, signaling a strong recovery for international student enrollment despite the turbulence of the last few years.
At Temple, 6.3% of the undergraduate student body — nearly 2,000 students — are international students who face the question of what happens when their visas expire.
Trump’s contradictory promise to offer green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges is a plan that many students see as a potential lifeline.
As Abate remains cautious about Trump’s immigration stance, others, like Juan Zepeda, a sophomore finance major from Mexico, are hopeful about the green card promise.
“If [Trump] does what he says, it would definitely benefit us,” Zepeda said.
Joan McGinley, director of international student and scholar services, warns that international students cannot plan their futures based solely on the shifting promises of political leaders like Trump.
“The most important thing for students is to get their degree,” McGinley said. “If they choose to stay afterward, we support them — but the landscape could change quickly.”
While there are potential challenges for international students, McGinley is cautiously optimistic about enrollment numbers rising as conditions stabilize and reminds students to remember that everything should be considered speculation until Trump assumes office in January.
However, like many of his peers, Zepeda is keeping a close eye on the changing political landscape, especially after Trump’s promises to grant green cards to foreign students who graduate. If Zepeda does decide to stay in the U.S. after he graduates, Trump’s claims would make it easier for him to make it happen, he said.
Zepeda’s optimism reflects the hope of many international students who see the promise as a potential pathway to long-term residency in the U.S. But on the other hand, students like Alan Assainov expressed cautious skepticism about the green card proposal.
“I don’t know if [Trump’s plan] is true,” said Assainov, a sophomore business management major from Kazakhstan. “But if it is, I wouldn’t be against it. It would definitely benefit many students.”
Assainov, who has been in the country for more than a year, faced his own struggles navigating the U.S. visa system, particularly given Kazakhstan’s strained political relationship with the U.S.
“Getting the visa was quite difficult because I had to bring a lot of documents to the embassy,” Assainov said. “I had to make an appointment six months before the appointment.”
The costs associated with applying for a U.S. student visa can be steep, including application fees and embassy appointment charges. For many students like Assainov, those fees are an additional obstacle on top of the already expensive tuition and living costs associated with studying abroad. With a high likelihood of rejection, the financial risk becomes even more pronounced, as many students are forced to pay upfront without knowing whether they will be allowed entry.
“It’s also quite expensive to go to the embassy,” Assainov said. “The appointment cost like $200, just to get an appointment. And there’s a 60% chance that they will decline your appointment.”
Some students think that Trump’s green card promise offers hope for a future in the U.S. Mileny Massiel, a senior journalism major from Peru, sees the potential policy change as a long-awaited opportunity to pursue the “American dream” without the looming uncertainty of visa renewals.
Massiel came to Temple to study English through its Intensive English Language Program with the plan to return to Peru when she was finished. But after two years in the program, she decided to stay in the country and finish her degree, she said.
“I started applying for the visa, and it was [the] COVID [pandemic] at the time, and the visa took up to two years to get it,” Massiel said. “I had to wait a year or a year and a half to simply get an appointment from the U.S. embassy. I needed documents like my birth certificate and vaccines.”
While navigating the complexities of securing a visa, Massiel also had to manage the broader political climate surrounding immigration. Besides the obvious challenges, she found that having a student visa offered a clearer and more manageable pathway compared to other immigration options, she said.
Even though his process was easier than most, Zepeda, who is also on Temple’s men’s soccer team, now faced the stress of “the waiting game.” Once his appointment with the U.S. embassy was secured, Zepeda could only hope that the consulate would approve his visa without any complications, he said.
“The truth is that [obtaining the student visa] was something simple because the university literally gives you everything you need,” Zepeda said. “In the case of a student it is the easiest thing in the world because you show that you are going to study at a university.”
Zepeda’s perspective was shaped by both personal experience and broader immigration policies. Having navigated the U.S. visa system himself, he believes that while immigration policies are tightening, international students who contribute to the economy will remain a priority.
“I think Trump’s real concern is with people coming here to work illegally,” Zepeda said. “Students come here, spend money and bring revenue to the country. If he’s focusing on limiting illegal immigration, I think international students will still be welcomed as long as they follow the rules. Trump has definitely targeted illegal immigrants. But students who follow the rules, pay their fees and contribute to the U.S. economy should be treated differently.”
This story was produced in Temple University’s Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting and pitched to The Temple News. You can learn more about the Logan Center here.
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