Latest news with #F1visa
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I left the US for Canada. Getting a green card seemed impossible, and the uncertainty overshadowed the positives of living in America.
After moving to the US from India, Sindhu Mahadevan grew frustrated with the immigration system. She felt the pathway to a green card was going nowhere, so she eventually moved to Canada. As a permanent resident, she feels more secure, and she's fine with having taken a salary hit. This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Sindhu Mahadevan, who moved from the US to Canada in 2021. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I moved to the US from India in 2012 to study a master's degree in biology. I graduated and entered the workforce in the States, but slowly began to grow disillusioned with the US immigration system. In 2021, I decided to stop fighting the system and move to Canada. Although I've left behind the high salaries available in the US, I've traded it for a sense of belonging as a permanent resident in Canada. I entered the American workforce, but felt vulnerable as an immigrant I grew up in a city in western India. I had family who lived in the US. I moved there on an F-1 visa for international students and graduated in 2014. My visa status made me eligible for two types of work authorization — optional practical training (OPT) and curricular practical training (CPT), both of which I used. I knew that after my student work authorization expired, I'd require a visa sponsorship. Some companies I applied to told me they wouldn't offer sponsorships or ghosted me after they realized I'd eventually need one. I started a career in the medical device industry and was employed under my work authorization until 2018. I was very conscious of my immigration status at work. I struggled to have difficult conversations about aligning everyone on compliance issues because I was worried about my job security. Sometimes, I felt this affected how well I could do my job. The path to a green card didn't feel possible I got married in 2015, and my husband, who was also on a visa, and I wanted to try to build a life in the US. I felt I needed permanent residency to do this. I wanted the freedom to visit India and the flexibility to change jobs, which became complicated on an F-1 visa. In 2016 and 2017, my company tried twice to get me an H-1B visa, which can be a step toward permanent residency in the US. Petitions are chosen for processing through a lottery selection system, but I wasn't picked either time. Around that time, I started to find out more information about the green card backlog for Indian nationals. There's a cap per country at 7% of all the green cards allocated that year. India has a large population with a lot of applicants, so there is a very long waitlist to have your applications processed. I felt I was thrashing against the system just to be able to stay in the country and contribute. In a moment of clarity, I realized I wasn't willing to keep fighting. In 2018, I no longer had work authorization and had to stop working. I didn't like not making an income at all, and it felt like a hard-won career had been yanked away from me. I moved to Canada as a permanent resident and have found a sense of belonging As a temporary solution, I tried changing my status from an F-1 to an F-2 visa, which would make me a dependent of my husband's F-1. I was allowed to remain in the US while my application was pending. Around the same time I filed the application to change my status, I began looking at backup plans. Moving to Canada was on the cards through the "Express Entry" system. It's a points-based system that scores applicants on things like their education, work experience, and language proficiencies. The highest-scoring applicants receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. My work experience was American-centric. Canada was a better fit than Europe or Asia. I applied just before the pandemic hit in 2020, when I still hadn't heard back with a final decision about changing my status to F-2. I received PR in October 2021, and my husband and I went to Canada straight away. As a permanent resident, I can work and buy property, but I can't vote in elections or stay outside Canada for longer than 730 days in a five-year window. In the US, I was a passenger along for the ride. In Canada, with PR status, I'm back in the driver's seat. I feel comfortable and in a solid legal position. As a permanent resident, I can take chances with my career I haven't had issues getting employment without Canadian experience, a problem some expats face, perhaps because my US experience is seen as valuable in my industry. I had a job lined up before the move. I've taken a salary hit, but with my PR status I have the freedom to take a chance working for a startup, something I wouldn't have dreamed of while in the US, where if the startup went under and I lost my job, it could mean the end of the road. Though more politely presented here than in the US, anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada concerns me, even though I haven't personally experienced negativity. People are expressing concerns around strained healthcare and housing, and Canada is experiencing immigration contraction. I'm fine with Canada's smaller economy Living in America shaped me in many ways. I admire Americans for their zeal to fight for what they believe in and to speak up. I don't regret moving there. If you're looking for the best universities or economy, the rational choice is the US. I moved to the US for my education, but the constraints of the immigration system slowly overshadowed the economic opportunities. I'm fine being in a smaller economy where I have more security. In a statement to BI, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said it was "committed to restoring integrity to the visa program" and ensuring people cannot illegally remain in the US. Do you have a story to share about immigrating to the US? Contact this reporter at ccheong@ Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I left the US for Canada. Getting a green card seemed impossible, and the uncertainty overshadowed the positives of living in America.
After moving to the US from India, Sindhu Mahadevan grew frustrated with the immigration system. She felt the pathway to a green card was going nowhere, so she eventually moved to Canada. As a permanent resident, she feels more secure, and she's fine with having taken a salary hit. This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Sindhu Mahadevan, who moved from the US to Canada in 2021. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I moved to the US from India in 2012 to study a master's degree in biology. I graduated and entered the workforce in the States, but slowly began to grow disillusioned with the US immigration system. In 2021, I decided to stop fighting the system and move to Canada. Although I've left behind the high salaries available in the US, I've traded it for a sense of belonging as a permanent resident in Canada. I entered the American workforce, but felt vulnerable as an immigrant I grew up in a city in western India. I had family who lived in the US. I moved there on an F-1 visa for international students and graduated in 2014. My visa status made me eligible for two types of work authorization — optional practical training (OPT) and curricular practical training (CPT), both of which I used. I knew that after my student work authorization expired, I'd require a visa sponsorship. Some companies I applied to told me they wouldn't offer sponsorships or ghosted me after they realized I'd eventually need one. I started a career in the medical device industry and was employed under my work authorization until 2018. I was very conscious of my immigration status at work. I struggled to have difficult conversations about aligning everyone on compliance issues because I was worried about my job security. Sometimes, I felt this affected how well I could do my job. The path to a green card didn't feel possible I got married in 2015, and my husband, who was also on a visa, and I wanted to try to build a life in the US. I felt I needed permanent residency to do this. I wanted the freedom to visit India and the flexibility to change jobs, which became complicated on an F-1 visa. In 2016 and 2017, my company tried twice to get me an H-1B visa, which can be a step toward permanent residency in the US. Petitions are chosen for processing through a lottery selection system, but I wasn't picked either time. Around that time, I started to find out more information about the green card backlog for Indian nationals. There's a cap per country at 7% of all the green cards allocated that year. India has a large population with a lot of applicants, so there is a very long waitlist to have your applications processed. I felt I was thrashing against the system just to be able to stay in the country and contribute. In a moment of clarity, I realized I wasn't willing to keep fighting. In 2018, I no longer had work authorization and had to stop working. I didn't like not making an income at all, and it felt like a hard-won career had been yanked away from me. I moved to Canada as a permanent resident and have found a sense of belonging As a temporary solution, I tried changing my status from an F-1 to an F-2 visa, which would make me a dependent of my husband's F-1. I was allowed to remain in the US while my application was pending. Around the same time I filed the application to change my status, I began looking at backup plans. Moving to Canada was on the cards through the "Express Entry" system. It's a points-based system that scores applicants on things like their education, work experience, and language proficiencies. The highest-scoring applicants receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence. My work experience was American-centric. Canada was a better fit than Europe or Asia. I applied just before the pandemic hit in 2020, when I still hadn't heard back with a final decision about changing my status to F-2. I received PR in October 2021, and my husband and I went to Canada straight away. As a permanent resident, I can work and buy property, but I can't vote in elections or stay outside Canada for longer than 730 days in a five-year window. In the US, I was a passenger along for the ride. In Canada, with PR status, I'm back in the driver's seat. I feel comfortable and in a solid legal position. As a permanent resident, I can take chances with my career I haven't had issues getting employment without Canadian experience, a problem some expats face, perhaps because my US experience is seen as valuable in my industry. I had a job lined up before the move. I've taken a salary hit, but with my PR status I have the freedom to take a chance working for a startup, something I wouldn't have dreamed of while in the US, where if the startup went under and I lost my job, it could mean the end of the road. Though more politely presented here than in the US, anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada concerns me, even though I haven't personally experienced negativity. People are expressing concerns around strained healthcare and housing, and Canada is experiencing immigration contraction. I'm fine with Canada's smaller economy Living in America shaped me in many ways. I admire Americans for their zeal to fight for what they believe in and to speak up. I don't regret moving there. If you're looking for the best universities or economy, the rational choice is the US. I moved to the US for my education, but the constraints of the immigration system slowly overshadowed the economic opportunities. I'm fine being in a smaller economy where I have more security. In a statement to BI, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said it was "committed to restoring integrity to the visa program" and ensuring people cannot illegally remain in the US. Do you have a story to share about immigrating to the US? Contact this reporter at ccheong@ Read the original article on Business Insider
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Federal judge stops Trump administration from terminating certain international students' legal status
Washington — A federal judge on Thursday blocked federal immigration officials with the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of thousands of international students while a legal battle moves forward. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, who sits on the U.S. district court in Oakland, California, found that a group of foreign nationals who are in the country on F-1 student visas but had their legal status terminated were likely to succeed in a challenge to the Trump administration's actions. White said in a 21-page decision that federal immigration officials don't suggest that the plaintiffs pose an immediate threat to safety or national security. But the students, he wrote, will "continue to suffer significant hardship" because of the administration's actions, absent judicial relief. White, nominated by President George W. Bush, wrote that the relief provided to the plaintiffs gives them a "measure of stability and certainty that they will be able to continue their studies or their employment without the threat of re-termination hanging over their heads." His nationwide injunction blocks immigration authorities from arresting or jailing the plaintiffs in the case or those who are similarly situated until the dispute is resolved, and from transferring them outside of the jurisdiction where they live. White's order also bars the Trump administration from reversing its reinstatement of certain international students' legal status. The cases were brought by foreign nationals who were admitted to the U.S. through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which Immigrations and Customs Enforcement oversees. The plaintiffs were in the country on F-1 visas, and records relating to their immigration status are housed in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, a database that tracks international students' compliance with their visa status. But in early April, the plaintiffs and thousands of other international students in the U.S. on F-1 visas learned that their SEVIS records had been terminated as part of the Trump administration's "Student Criminal Alien Initiative" for "otherwise failing to maintain status." They said that terminating their SEVIS record effectively terminates their F-1 status, which governs whether they're in the U.S. lawfully. The plaintiffs said they were told their legal status had been terminated because they were "identified in a criminal records check and/or has had their visa revoked." Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who filed their lawsuit against the Trump administration last month, argued that while they each have had some contact with law enforcement, none has a criminal history that would pose a threat to their legal status in the U.S. or render them deportable. After the international students filed their lawsuit against federal immigration authorities, a federal judge granted temporary restraining orders, which White later extended. Then, a Justice Department lawyer said that ICE had started reinstating SEVIS records for more than 4,700 students who had their student visa records terminated. But White said those changes weren't enough, and warned that the Trump administration's actions since the cases were filed "raise the concern that they may be trying to place any future SEVIS terminations beyond judicial review." "At each turn in this and similar litigation across the nation, defendants have abruptly changed course to satisfy courts' expressed concerns. It is unclear how this game of whack-a-mole will end unless defendants are enjoined from skirting their own mandatory regulations," he wrote. White's order came after he held a hearing on motions for preliminary injunctions last week and learned during the proceedings that ICE had been restoring SEVIS records retroactively and that the administration planned to send letters to all student visa-holders impacted by the mass cancellations. Still, he granted their requests for the injunction and rejected the Trump administration's argument that a SEVIS record is not tied to immigration status, calling it "unpersuasive and unsupported." "By terminating plaintiffs' SEVIS records, defendants altered plaintiffs' legal status within the United States," White wrote. He also chided the Trump administration's so-called "Student Criminal Alien Initiative," and said that it underscored the need for nationwide relief. "That initiative is a uniform policy that uniformly wreaked havoc not only on the lives of plaintiffs here but on similarly situated F-1 nonimmigrants across the United States and continues do so," White wrote.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from terminating international students' legal status
A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of international students while a court case challenging previous terminations is pending amid a crackdown on illegal behavior on college campuses. California U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White barred the government from arresting or incarcerating the plaintiffs and similar students and from transferring any of them outside the jurisdiction of their residence. His order also prohibits the administration from imposing any adverse legal effect on students and from reversing the reinstatement of the legal status until the case is resolved. However, students can still be arrested for committing violent crimes. The government's actions "wreaked havoc not only on the lives of Plaintiffs here but on similarly situated F-1 nonimmigrants across the United States and continue to do so," said White. More than 4,700 international students had their permission to study in the U.S. canceled this spring as the Trump administration cracked down on foreign nationals protesting on American university campuses. Department of Homeland Security officials said they ran the names of student visa holders through an FBI-run database that contains the names of suspects and people who have been arrested, even if the charges were dropped or they were never charged with a crime. Some students have left the U.S. rather than risk arrest or deportation. The government contends it was exercising its ability to enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act. DHS officials said the students don't need the court's protection because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reinstated legal status and was mailing status reactivation letters to affected students. However, White said the erroneous revocations remained on the students' record, impacting their ability to obtain a new visa or change their nonimmigrant status. Trump has targeted college students and universities amid a crackdown on antisemitism and other illegal behavior. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said it was eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to "pro-terrorist conduct" at campus protests. The Ivy League school has failed to comply with its requests for the behavioral records of student visa holders, DHS said. "This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments." "Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused," she added. "They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."
