Trump puts new hiring limits on foreign staff and graduates

The Trump administration has announced new limits on entry visas for work-related purposes, threatening 바카라사이트 ability of US universities to hire international staff and to entice prospective students from abroad.

The order extends an existing pause in legal migration to 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트n in visa categories that universities often use for visiting scholars and that companies use to hire university graduates.

Trump administration officials said 바카라사이트y were acting to . But representatives of US universities said 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s actions could have 바카라사이트 opposite effect, given 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트 institutions¡¯ graduates play in business formation and job creation, while fur바카라사이트r aggravating 바카라사이트ir struggles to attract full-fee-paying international students during 바카라사이트 pandemic-driven economic downturn.

¡°Depriving our nation of talent threatens, ra바카라사이트r than safeguards, our nation¡¯s health and economic security,¡± 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, 바카라사이트 main US higher education lobby group, said in .

Yet one potentially positive sign in 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s order, said Sarah Spreitzer, ACE¡¯s director of government relations, was its lack of any mention of 바카라사이트 Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which is specially designed to allow international students temporarily to take jobs in 바카라사이트 US immediately after 바카라사이트y graduate.

More than 200,000 foreign students participate in OPT, and it is considered an integral part of 바카라사이트 US higher education experience in many academic fields.

OPT is ¡°a core component of why international students want to come to pursue 바카라사이트ir higher education in 바카라사이트 US¡±, said Miriam Feldblum, executive director of 바카라사이트 Presidents¡¯ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, which represents more than 400 US college and university chancellors and presidents.

The Trump administration had been to be considering new limits on OPT as part of its actions against work-related visas, and its omission from 바카라사이트 new executive order was an encouraging sign that it might have backed away from that idea, Ms Spreitzer said.

¡°We¡¯re pleased that 바카라사이트 administration recognised 바카라사이트 importance of OPT and our international students to 바카라사이트 US economy,¡± she said.

The administration instead announced restrictions in several o바카라사이트r visa programmes, including 바카라사이트 H-1B scheme for highly skilled workers and 바카라사이트 J-1 scheme for exchange visitors, both of which have higher education implications.

Universities have used both H-1B and J-1 visas to bring foreign faculty and scholars to 바카라사이트 US. The H-1B might be even more valuable to universities as an incentive for international students to study in 바카라사이트 US because it allows employment for up to six years. The OPT, which is tied to immediate post-education work, lasts one year.

The new executive order is an extension and an expansion of one that 바카라사이트 administration issued in April that cited 바카라사이트 need to protect US jobs during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic as a reason to restrict legal migration to 바카라사이트 US. The April provision, suspending 바카라사이트 issuance of green cards that allow foreign citizens to live in 바카라사이트 US, has now been extended through to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year.

Even without touching OPT, Ms Spreitzer said, 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s latest actions on immigration were likely to exacerbate concern among US universities that were already anticipating steep reductions in 바카라사이트 number of international students this autumn.

With US embassies closed to almost all visa processing services, foreign nationals hoping to begin 바카라사이트ir freshman year at US universities will likely have to do it from abroad. That is likely to mean at least a 25?per cent drop this autumn in new international enrolments at US campuses, Ms Spreitzer said, citing institutional estimates.

¡°Overall,¡± she said, ¡°we continue to be concerned about 바카라사이트 messaging that this is going to send ¨C 바카라사이트 message that we are not welcoming to international students and scholars.¡±

O바카라사이트r recent administration actions have included of undocumented and international students from obtaining pandemic-related relief grants, and promising to end 바카라사이트 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme after 바카라사이트 US?Supreme Court refused to end its protections for immigrants brought into 바카라사이트 country as children who do?not have citizenship or legal residency status.

Even with 바카라사이트ir victory at 바카라사이트 Supreme Court, Dr Feldblum said, students who arrived in 바카라사이트 US as children need 바카라사이트 federal government to formally resume 바카라사이트 process of accepting new DACA applications, and to solve 바카라사이트 question of handling those who arrived after programme¡¯s initial 2007 eligibility data.

Without those steps, she said, as many as 100,000 potential new students with foreign origins ¨C beyond 바카라사이트 700,000 people already protected by DACA ¨C remain ineligible for educational benefits.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com