Friday, May 11, 2018

International student post-graduate employment

Besides the learning and cultural resources international students contribute to higher education, they also represent a talent resource that is important to any country able to host them for work training after their graduation. A recent Pew Research study indicates that the number of international students employed in STEM areas in the U.S.A. grew by 400% from 2008-16. The increase is presumed to be a response to George W. Bush extending F-1 visa approvals from 12 to 29 months and Barack Obama increasing the period to 36 months to work in STEM-related positions during the study period.

Analysis of the pattern of increases reveal that the majority of international students staying on extended F-1 status were masters degree recipients in STEM areas. The largest proportion of them were from India (30%), China (21%), South Korea (6%), Taiwan (4%), and lower for others. While the universities involved in extending the F-1 study visas were for the most part reputable, a small number of non-classified institutions (Silicon Valley University, the University of Northern Virginia, and Herguan University) have now closed after questions were raised about their visa granting practices for international students.

The Trump administration is looking at modification of the extended visa policy; those institutions that exploit international students with F-1 extensions will hopefully be the target of changes.

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