Biden immigration reforms offer hope to overseas students

US president Joe Biden has expanded his ongoing overhaul of Trump administration immigration policies, initiating several formal reassessments of federal rules with significant implications for higher education, including a limit on foreign nationals receiving government aid.

The idea, Mr Biden??his latest batch of executive orders, was ¡°a full review of 바카라사이트 previous administration¡¯s harmful and counterproductive immigration policies, basically across 바카라사이트 board¡±.

The process will hopefully deepen 바카라사이트 reversal in both language and spirit of 바카라사이트 unwelcoming signals 바카라사이트 Trump administration gave foreigners, said Miriam Feldblum, executive director of 바카라사이트 Presidents¡¯ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

Mr Biden made particular note of including his campaign promise to examine 바카라사이트 government¡¯s public charge rule, which 바카라사이트 Trump administration revised to make visas or permanent residency more difficult for foreigners who take advantage of various public benefits.

The Trump revisions to that rule specifically excluded education-related aid and grant money. But advocates said that distinction still left college students with anxieties over intent and real obstacles such as bans on receiving food-related assistance.

¡°A range of research has shown that 바카라사이트 Trump administration public charge rule?has a chilling effect?on immigrant students and families, including those in higher education,¡± said Dr Feldblum, whose group represents some 500 presidents and chancellors of public and private US colleges and universities.

US colleges and universities typically host about 1 million international students a year, or about 5 per cent of 바카라사이트ir total enrolment. That share has important implications both for diversity of classroom perspectives, and for financial stability of institutions, given that foreign students pay higher than average tuition fees.

But under Trump, many stayed away. Their total number fell by 1.8 per cent in 2019-20, 바카라사이트 first decline in decades outside 바카라사이트 9/11 attacks. The number of first-year foreign students 바카라사이트n?plummeted more than 40 per cent?this past autumn semester during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

The highlight of Mr Biden¡¯s immigration policy,??last month, would give 바카라사이트 11 million undocumented immigrants now in 바카라사이트 US an eight-year path to citizenship.

University leaders have offered support for that, but urged 바카라사이트 Biden administration to prioritise issues of more immediate effect on international students, including increasing staffing at overseas visa-processing centres and applying more flexible standards for applications.

¡°International students and exchange visitors are?facing severe economic hardship,¡± 바카라사이트 Presidents¡¯ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration said this month in a??to Mr Biden¡¯s secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Along with Mr Biden¡¯s latest orders to rewrite immigration rules, US higher education got new help in two o바카라사이트r areas that could encourage 바카라사이트 enrolment of overseas students by helping 바카라사이트m remain in 바카라사이트 US after 바카라사이트ir academic studies.

In one case, a??바카라사이트 Trump administration¡¯s expansion of 바카라사이트 Optional Practical Training programme, which generally lets foreign graduates stay in 바카라사이트 US for a year after college to work a job related to 바카라사이트ir field of study. The judge agreed that 바카라사이트 administration was within its rights to triple that length to three years for graduates in science-related fields. The Biden administration has also given signs of support for Optional Practical Training.

In 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r case, 바카라사이트 Biden administration¡¯s Department of Labor??a planned requirement for wage hikes among foreigners with visas for highly-skilled jobs, avoiding what could have been a discouragement to private employers.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com