As job opportunities in the United States of America dwindle and immigration rules tighten, many Indian students studying there are scrambling for alternatives to secure their future. A combination of protectionist policies, declining H‑1B (Specialty Occupation Worker) visa sponsorships, and growing fears of deportation — sometimes over minor past offences — has prompted a wave of uncertainty, particularly among those nearing graduation.
One of the most significant trends emerging, The Economic Times reports, is the growing interest in the employment‑based fifth preference (EB‑5) visa route. Costing $800,000 (roughly Rs 6.83 crores as of today), this visa grants permanent residency and a fast‑track Green Card. On behalf of parents funding this option, immigration consultant Vivek Tandon, Chief Executive Officer of EB5 BRICS, says he has seen a marked surge.
“Uncertainty is at its highest level; people are getting sleepless nights,” he noted, after engaging with Indian student associations at institutes such as the University of California, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins University.
Even professionals are personally involved. A top executive at a professional services firm, whose son is pursuing a Master’s at the University of Maryland, compiled nearly 200 job applications with no success, prompting the parent to prepare EB‑5 paperwork as the best means to secure both residency and employment.
Meanwhile, according to The Economic Times, many students are pursuing second Master’s degrees or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) programmes that allow work authorisation from Day 1. Platforms like Upwork, Turing, and Parker Dewey are being used for micro‑internships and remote freelance work to keep resumes active, an approach endorsed by Adarsh Khandelwal, Co-founder of study abroad platform Collegify.
Some are exploring one‑year Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) extension programmes or graduate certificates in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, public policy, and healthcare analytics. Others are temporarily abandoning US plans in favour of opportunities in other countries or Indian recruitment, all while parallelly hunting for American roles.
Anshuman Das, CEO and Co-founder of the Careernet Group, reports a surge in US‑bound resumes and warns that AI disruption has made campus placements — including coding roles — far more competitive.
Sukanya Raman, immigration lawyer and Country Head (India) at Davies & Associates LLC, adds that parent‑sponsored EB‑5 applications have jumped by over 50% since January, driven by panic over proposals to end the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.
