After the furore over the proposed H1B visa reforms by the Trump administration, foreign students may have to face some more issues with the proposal to introduce an annual renewal of stay despite holding a valid visa.
Reports in the US media about a proposal from the Department of Homeland Security that requires international students to apply every year for permission to stay in the US is making Indian students jittery. Though it is still in the proposal stage, it is likely to cause concern among the hopefuls.
As of now, it may not directly impact the Indian students in the USA as the proposal, even if accepted, would take more than a year to be implemented. “It will cause some concern among the US aspirants as they feel such strong measures will distract them from their objectives. But it may not have any impact on the issue of visas,” says GVK Reddy, a professor at Vardhaman Engineering College and who guides students on US education.
Prof. Reddy said the report in the Washington Post had quoted an official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who had refused to comment on the specifics but agreed that international student programme was one of the many under review.
If the proposal takes shape, students may have to reapply for permission to stay in the US paying a fee of $ 200 along with burdensome paperwork. In the present system, students are monitored through Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVIS) that charges around $ 200 for the service. “This might be a yearly feature if at all the proposal turns into a decision,” says Narsi Gayam, who trains US education aspirants at his Promac GRE Coaching Centre in the city.
At the same time, he is confident that it may not affect the visa issuance and Indian students or aspirants need not worry. “It is definitely a procedural nightmare and the US institutions and students may be burdened with additional paperwork. More than that, I don’t see any impact on US education,” he says.
Prof. GVK Reddy feels that those misusing the visa or whose academic credentials are questionable may have to bother in such circumstances. But a majority of Indian students aspiring to go to the USA are serious about their academics and these measures will not deter them from US education, he feels.
