International Education in the Biden Era | Graphic by Dylan Collison | The Wright State Guardian
The new Biden administration brings hope for international students who want to study in the U.S. With the new administration, changes have been made and opportunities have opened up for international students.
Changes
International students may have noticed how difficult it was to come to the U.S. during the past four years. There were some visa-issuing difficulties, travel restrictions, limited immigration policies and other obstacles. But finally, America has become the top destination for getting a higher education once again.
In the next couple of years, more things will begin to change, because President Biden has already implemented a new proclamation canceling travel bans for people from several Muslim counties, and he sent a bill to Congress on Jan. 20 with intentions of changing the immigration system as well.
Immigration system
Earlier President Biden mentioned that he wants to pay attention to all international students who earn their graduate degrees in science and engineering fields. STEM workers are essential for the U.S. economy, and it would be beneficial to create clear pathways to help them stay in the country after their graduation.
“Biden believes that foreign graduates of a U.S. doctoral program should be given a green card with their degree and that losing these highly trained workers to foreign economies is a disservice to our own economic competitiveness,” according to President Biden’s campaign platform.
Student opinion
As an international student in the STEM field at Wright State, I think that these regulations will be a great step ahead for all current and prospective students in the U.S. It will help international students understand more accurately all possible ways of obtaining a job after graduation and give them a more “welcomed” feeling from the country where they decide to get a degree.
International students will not be stressed out about what to do after getting the diploma, but instead they can focus more on research and projects. They won’t have to worry that one day their optional practical training (OPT) may be canceled.
Eventually, new foreign students who decide to come to the U.S. in the future could contribute more to their campus community with their unique cultures and experiences.
