Anxious wait for Chinese students in US to learn Trump’s plans for immigration

Visitors in America look to Trump I presidency for clues to how H-1B visa category and other programmes might be restricted

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Some Chinese students in the US say they are not hopeful any supportive changes to immigration policy under Trump. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00pm, 9 Nov 2024

Chinese students studying in the United States watched Donald Trump’s historic comeback to the White House with anxiety, worrying about their ability to stay in the country.

Given Trump’s record of restrictive legal immigration and visa policies, the possibility looms large of fresh immigration rules that hinder foreign students.

Several Chinese students in the US expressed scant hope of any supportive changes to immigration policy from the next administration.

“Trump has not yet taken office nor implemented any specific restrictive measures, leaving much uncertain. Nevertheless, my friends and I are mentally preparing ourselves for, potentially, even harsher developments ahead,” said Jennifer Zhang, a software engineer from Fujian working at a tech company in Silicon Valley.

Although Trump has always claimed he targets illegal immigration, Zhang said she believed he could not achieve this end and could only strictly scrutinise the visas used for legal immigration.

In contrast, President Joe Biden streamlined the system, reversing some of Trump’s policies and dramatically improving the process for H-1B visa applicants.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the US that allows local employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations, such as technology or mathematics.