How Will Trump's Win Affect Students?

Donald Trump's victory in the presidential elections of the United States came as a surprise to almost all experts: before the start of the vote, polls showed Hillary Clinton's confident leadership, but the final decision turned out to be different. Now that the identity of the future president of the United States is already known, it is worth figuring out how Trump can influence foreign students who dream of studying in the United States?

Trump, known for his radical statements, talked a lot about restricting migration.So, back in March, the presidential candidate announced that plans to cancel the J-1 visa, intended for researchers, professors, participants in cultural exchanges.However, while fears may be in vain: it is very likely that many of Trump's promises, especially radical ones, will not come true - too often presidents, who surprised with their election program, were in no hurry to live up to all promises without exception.

Despite this, Trump's statements raise concerns outside the United States. Rahul Houdaha, co-founder of interEDGE.org, a training firm for international students fears that Trump's victory could reduce the attractiveness of the United States to international students: “This election is a bad signal for students.It is quite possible that now America will not be the most attractive country for international students. "Many of them would like to stay in the US after completing their education, Howadah explains, but Trump's aggressive anti-migrant policies may prevent them from doing so. “It will likely be even more difficult for students to find an internship or permanent job needed to obtain a visa,” Houdaha said.

Mark Asheville, head of a company that helps Vietnamese students enroll, explains that foreigners tend to prefer “democratic” rather than “republican” states, and this factoroften plays a decisive role in choosing a university. Now, with a Republican calling for a tough immigration policy, students may well have a preference for universities outside the United States. Moreover, Trump's aggressive statements that were part of his campaign oftenscare potential students - even if in reality his policy turns out to be softer, the image that the politician has created for himself can reduce the popularity of American universities. “I think that Vietnamese students, as well as students from those countries whose population Trump insulted during his campaign, will choose another country for their studies - more open and tolerant,” Asheville said.

However, not all experts agree with this point of view: Ravi Lohan Singh from Indiasaysthat Trump spoke very positively about India during his campaign: “The United States is still attractive to Indian students, because Trump opposed only illegal immigration, but welcomes educated migrants, which our students are. "

It is very likely that Trump will not impose any additional restrictions on foreign students: this allows universities to earn money, moreover, foreign students do not cause negative emotions among Americans, unlike illegal migrants. Most likely, the conditions for obtaining a student visa will remain unchanged - admission to the university actually guarantees its receipt. Nevertheless, the tightening of migration policy will certainly affect those who plan to stay in the United States: it will become much more difficult to find a job and obtain the necessary visa. Those who planned to receive an American education primarily in order to stay in this country should think about it.