Coming to you with some good news this month! Firstly, in response to the Trump administration’s review of OPT, policy makers presented a bill called the “Keep Innovators in America Act.” The bipartisan bill which seeks to maintain the integrity of the OPT benefit by codifying the program and making it impervious to presidential whim. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) and Jay Obernolte (R) are heavily encouraging their fellow representatives to support the proposal, citing “the program’s central role in attracting international students to the US” (thepienews.com).
OPT has, for many years, been an attractive benefit to the US student visa program, allowing some students up to 36 months of work authorization following the completion of a degree program. In fact, the ambiguity surrounding the fate of OPT is cited as a main reason for fewer international students seeking to study in the US. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published an analysis that shows the number of US student visas being issued has declined by 36% (edsource.org). What this means for the future of international education remains to be seen, but those of us who work in the field are all too familiar with the impacts on institutions and programs when we see fewer international students choosing to study here.
No doubt another reason that fewer students are choosing the US as a study destination is due to the numerous and seemingly arbitrary visa revocations that occurred last spring. These record terminations signaled to students both here and abroad that international students in the US are dispensable and may be treated as political pawns rather than visiting contributing members of society. However, in a massive win for international education and international students, a federal judge in Massachusetts deemed that the mass terminations of over 2,000 international students were unlawful (thepienews.com). The State Department does not appear to agree and is expected to challenge the decision, but the judicial support for international student rights and the accountability for the government are both welcome in this challenging climate.
Lastly, we would be remiss to not mention the impact that the middle east conflict is having on our field. Many of the US institution campuses in the middle east have had to close their doors due to security concerns, with American students and employees struggling to get back home (insidehighered.com). On the flip side, students from the middle east and other parts of the world who were studying in Iran, Lebanon, and the UAE are faced with canceled classes, postponed exams, internet access issues, and emergency protocols in place. The disruption is inconvenient, but the fear for their families, loved ones, and even themselves is a scary and harsh reality. As reported by The Pie, “About 200 students relocated from Tehran to Qom reported hearing explosions nearby, while another 107 at Urmia University of Medical Sciences have written to the Indian consulate in Tehran seeking evacuation via land routes to neighboring countries such as Armenia or Azerbaijan” (thepienews.com).
From our world to yours, that’s the latest from international education this month.
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