With the Presidential elections in the United States of America (USA) going to count tomorrow, November 6, international students and job seekers alike are watching the outcome with bated breath, as the results would dictate the immigration policy for the next five years — and their chances of making it big in the USA.
The face-off between Democratic Presidential Candidate & Vice-President Kamala Harris and Republican Presidential Candidate & Former President Donald Trump reveals starkly different approaches to immigration policy — and Indians who want to study or work abroad must keep these in stock.
Let’s take a look at what the two candidates have to offer:
Student visas
Indian students contribute 7.6 billion US Dollars per year to the US economy.
According to The Financial Express, the Trump administration has heightened scrutiny of F-1 student visas and suggested limits on Optional Practical Training (OPT).
In the meanwhile, Harris may fight to expand the OPT period of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates from 36 months to potentially longer periods, giving Indian students more time to obtain practical experience.
H-1B visas
The Trump administration tightened eligibility requirements and increased wage thresholds for H-1B visa applicants, increasing denial rates from 6 per cent in 2015 to 24 per cent in 2018.
Meanwhile, Harris has previously advocated for expanding the yearly maximum on H-1B visas, which is now limited to 65,000 normal visas and an additional 20,000 for candidates with advanced degrees from US institutions, The Financial Express reports.
