As Donald Trump resurfaces in the political arena, the international education sector is bracing itself for the possible fallout.
His previous administration implemented travel bans affecting several Muslim-majority countries and fostered an environment that was dismissive of international scholars.
These measures tarnished the U.S.’s reputation as a welcoming educational destination, a sentiment that the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified.
Current Landscape of International Education
Today, however, the landscape has shifted again, with the U.S. currently hosting a record 1.126 million international students.
This surge is largely attributed to increased graduate enrollments, particularly in contrast to fewer new undergraduate admissions.
Yet, amid this growth, many within the field worry that Trump’s expected crackdown on immigration might reveal a disturbing reality: a substantial number of student visa holders might be violating the terms of their visas.
Challenges of Visa Compliance
While the majority of international students adhere to their visa regulations, a significant minority do not.
According to a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, over 51,000 individuals on F, J, or M visas overstayed their permitted terms in fiscal year 2023, resulting in about a 3.5 percent overstay rate.
Some countries reported staggering figures, with over 50 percent of visa holders from certain regions failing to exit the U.S. as mandated.
To put the 51,556 overstays in perspective, the Institute of International Education disclosed nearly 300,000 new enrollments for the 2023-24 academic year, suggesting that roughly one in every six new students was in violation of their visa conditions.
Addressing Exploitation in Practical Training
Although significant instances of this exploitation may be rare, there is an increasing number of situations where CPT serves as little more than a work-for-tuition arrangement, straying from its original educational intent.
Acknowledging these practices and exploring system improvements is vital.
Engaging in discussions about practical training can often make international education professionals uneasy, as they fear that raising concerns could jeopardize these benefits.
However, without a commitment to maintaining integrity in the system, the U.S. risks damaging its esteemed standing among international scholars, particularly as the number of graduate students continues to rise while undergraduate enrollments stagnate.
Source: Insidehighered