Indian students in the US are rushing to explore various options for extending their stay and enhancing their job prospects, as tougher immigration rules and fewer employment opportunities amid a wave of Trump-led protectionism threaten to crush their American dreams.
The number of affluent parents looking to fund $800,000 employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) visas—which grant permanent residence rights to recipients—for their children is on the rise. Other strategies students are exploring include enrolling in a second master’s programme or curricular practical training (CPT) programme that allows work authorisation from Day 1; opting for micro-internships and remote freelance work, besides networking aggressively, attending events, while submitting job applications continuously.
The current upheaval among Indian students comes at a time when many international students, especially those graduating this year, are struggling to secure internships or full-time roles. The US job market has tightened, marked by hiring freezes and layoffs in several firms amid recession fears and AI automation impacting entry-level jobs. Companies are also reducing H-1B sponsorships.
This, coupled with crackdowns on international students, and the threat of sudden deportation over minor past offences like DUI (driving under the influence) has instilled fear into the hearts of many.
“Uncertainty is at its highest level; people are getting sleepless nights,” said Vivek Tandon, CEO of immigration firm EB5 BRICS, who is seeing a surge in parents sponsoring EB5 visas for their kids. The visa offers the recipient a fast-track Green Card and the freedom to live and work in the US.
Tandon, who has been interacting with many Indian student associations including at University of California, Berkeley and Johns Hopkins, says many students are banking on the EB-5 visa as a feasible path to secure their stay in the US.
Like the top executive at a professional services firm, who has been busy helping his son—a Master’s student at the University of Maryland—put together the paperwork for the EB5 visa he plans to fund. After nearly 200-odd job applications yielded no results, the executive—who asked not to be named—says it is the best shot to help his son stay on in the US and land a job.
“It’s easier to do as a student already in the US,” said the senior professional, adding that there are several in his extended network who have opted for this route. Kids are under a lot of stress, he says. “There aren’t enough jobs out there; companies often end up rejecting applications of students who need H1B visa sponsorships.”
Immigration lawyer Sukanya Raman, country head for India at global immigration-focused law firm Davies & Associates LLC said parent-sponsored student visas have surged more than 50% since January. “There’s a lot of panic, especially with the new bill proposing the ending of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. People who were earlier only discussing the EB5 tentatively have now started the process.”
Back-up plans
Meanwhile, students are picking up short-term gigs through platforms like Parker Dewey, Upwork, and Turing. This keeps the resume alive and can convert to full-time roles in some cases, said Adarsh Khandelwal, cofounder of Collegify, a study abroad platform.
Some, he says, are opting for a second Master’s or graduate certificate programmes in fields like AI, data science, public policy, or healthcare analytics that are still hot, or pivoting to interdisciplinary programmes or 1-year STEM extensions.
Changing course
Yet, some others are abandoning their US dreams—at least temporarily—and are either looking at other countries or reaching out to Indian recruiters while parallelly continuing their job search in the US.
Anshuman Das, CEO and cofounder of the Careernet Group, which recently expanded to the US market, is experiencing a rush of resumes of those trying to find a job in America. He says the US white-collar job market has become tougher, even more so with AI disruption. “Finding a job from campus has become much harder, including coding jobs.”
The number of affluent parents looking to fund $800,000 employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) visas—which grant permanent residence rights to recipients—for their children is on the rise. Other strategies students are exploring include enrolling in a second master’s programme or curricular practical training (CPT) programme that allows work authorisation from Day 1; opting for micro-internships and remote freelance work, besides networking aggressively, attending events, while submitting job applications continuously.
The current upheaval among Indian students comes at a time when many international students, especially those graduating this year, are struggling to secure internships or full-time roles. The US job market has tightened, marked by hiring freezes and layoffs in several firms amid recession fears and AI automation impacting entry-level jobs. Companies are also reducing H-1B sponsorships.
This, coupled with crackdowns on international students, and the threat of sudden deportation over minor past offences like DUI (driving under the influence) has instilled fear into the hearts of many.
“Uncertainty is at its highest level; people are getting sleepless nights,” said Vivek Tandon, CEO of immigration firm EB5 BRICS, who is seeing a surge in parents sponsoring EB5 visas for their kids. The visa offers the recipient a fast-track Green Card and the freedom to live and work in the US.
Tandon, who has been interacting with many Indian student associations including at University of California, Berkeley and Johns Hopkins, says many students are banking on the EB-5 visa as a feasible path to secure their stay in the US.
Like the top executive at a professional services firm, who has been busy helping his son—a Master’s student at the University of Maryland—put together the paperwork for the EB5 visa he plans to fund. After nearly 200-odd job applications yielded no results, the executive—who asked not to be named—says it is the best shot to help his son stay on in the US and land a job.
“It’s easier to do as a student already in the US,” said the senior professional, adding that there are several in his extended network who have opted for this route. Kids are under a lot of stress, he says. “There aren’t enough jobs out there; companies often end up rejecting applications of students who need H1B visa sponsorships.”
Immigration lawyer Sukanya Raman, country head for India at global immigration-focused law firm Davies & Associates LLC said parent-sponsored student visas have surged more than 50% since January. “There’s a lot of panic, especially with the new bill proposing the ending of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme. People who were earlier only discussing the EB5 tentatively have now started the process.”
Back-up plans
Meanwhile, students are picking up short-term gigs through platforms like Parker Dewey, Upwork, and Turing. This keeps the resume alive and can convert to full-time roles in some cases, said Adarsh Khandelwal, cofounder of Collegify, a study abroad platform.
Some, he says, are opting for a second Master’s or graduate certificate programmes in fields like AI, data science, public policy, or healthcare analytics that are still hot, or pivoting to interdisciplinary programmes or 1-year STEM extensions.
Changing course
Yet, some others are abandoning their US dreams—at least temporarily—and are either looking at other countries or reaching out to Indian recruiters while parallelly continuing their job search in the US.
Anshuman Das, CEO and cofounder of the Careernet Group, which recently expanded to the US market, is experiencing a rush of resumes of those trying to find a job in America. He says the US white-collar job market has become tougher, even more so with AI disruption. “Finding a job from campus has become much harder, including coding jobs.”
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