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After Donald Trump’s H-1B visa crackdown, Indian students are heading to these countries

A crackdown on the work visa by Donald Trump, many Indian students are changing their route from the US to Canada, Ireland to study and work there

With a crackdown on the work visa by the US President Donald Trump, many Indian students are changing their route from the United States to other countries to pursue their desired courses and work there. Trump called the H-1B a “cheap labor program” during his presidential campaign.

Many Indian students are weighing Canada, New Zealand and Ireland over the United States to live and work there as they find them budget-friendly and safe. In one such case, Rahul Kohli, who applied for a Master’s degree in data science with admission to Michigan Technological University and a 2.7 million rupee (USD 42,000) student loan in place has changed his route from the US to Ireland.

Earlier, Donald Trump had promised a crackdown on work visas (H-1B) that he says undercut salaries for Americans. Now, Rahul is going to the University of Dublin in Ireland, where he says the total cost would be half of what he’d budgeted for in the US and where he plans to work after his studies.

Not only the crackdown of H-1B visa, the frequent racist attacks in the US is also a major concern for the students to look beyond the state. Such concerns are also seen a decline in applications at some US universities as Indians reconsider what has long been their first choice for overseas study.

The H-1B foreign worker visa program is used more by people from India than any other nationality.

Another student, Akshay Kumar from Varanasi, a final year student of an engineering degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras said, “The Kansas shootout has scared his parents, but they cannot say no to me going to the US.”

A Student advisory service member, Karan Gupta explains, “For campuses trying to attract international students, a major challenge would be the perception of US becoming a racist country where Indians are not welcome would be a serious concern.”

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