Immigrant folklore in the United States is replete with tales of hard-working cab drivers who go on to own car companies, or convenience store owners who turn their dilapidated shops into blooming chains. For decades now, the land of opportunity has attracted droves of foreign hopefuls, sold on the idea that the path to fame, fortune, or simply a better life, lies just an ocean away.
Whether lured by shining examples of fellow countrymen who have made it big, lofty ideals about attaining top-quality education, or simply the prospect of shaking a leg at New York's nightclubs, the troopers increasingly embarking on the transcontinental march westwards are younger and younger.
In spite of a minor dip in numbers after September 11, 2001, international students are flooding U.S. universities at a remarkable rate. According to the Institute of International Education's “2006 Open Doors” report, U.S. educational institutions hosted over half a million international students during the last academic year – 20 percent more than 10 years ago, and 39 percent more than 20 years ago.
The report shows that, last year, the University of Southern California enrolled almost 7,000 international students. Columbia, Purdue and New York Universities enrolled about 5,500 each, and the University of the Texas took about 5,400. Of all the international students who come to the United States, the highest number currently originates from India.
However, in spite of the fact that Indians and youngsters from around the world seem to be barreling towards North America with breakneck speed, make no mistake, the path to the average international student's success is not charted on level ground.
International students are faced with a multitude of problems: inevitable cultural differences in accepted behavior and expectations, language barriers, pangs of homesickness, and an entirely different system of education. Even if the exceptionally nifty foreign undergraduate is able to successfully navigate all these, he is still faced with the added hurdle of considering future job prospects in light to remain in the country after graduation.
Foreign nationals who graduate from a U.S. university can work in the country on a temporary employment authorization for one year, after which time they must transfer to a H1B visa, is a non-immigrant visa that permits U.S. companies to employ foreign nationals who have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree. It is available only to those in "specialty occupations," and must be applied for by the individual's sponsoring company.
A marked discrepancy exists between the number of graduates searching for jobs in the United States and the number of H1B visas available. The latter lies at a mere 65,000 annually (plus 20,000 visas for foreign graduates of U.S. advanced degree programs). The paucity of this quota is sharply apparent in light of the fact that India alone sent over 76,000 students to the United States for the previous academic year.
For many foreign nationals then, fundamental educational choices – such as which university to go, when to begin their graduates studies, or even what major to choose – are being dictated by the expected effect these decisions will have on their ability to stay in the country, and of course rake in the big bucks.
"I see a real anxiety in many of the international students I counsel," stated a career counselor at the Career Exploration Center at the University of Texas. "It is not uncommon to meet a student who gives up her passion in favor of practical goals. What is foremost in many students' minds is the reality that they need to find a job right after they graduate, or they must go back home. I see this particularly with South Asian students – they are very focused on planning for the future."
The fact that many international students make educational and vocational decisions more out of necessity than choice is an often-unacknowledged reality. Liberal arts colleges are far more likely to offer financial aid to foreigners; however many students shun this option, instead taking loans that will enable them to attend larger schools such as Columbia University or Boston University.
Degrees from these schools are often perceived to be more vocationally applicable, a key factor for students who have left their countries of origin in order to find not simply an education but also a career in the United States.
As a result of the United States' existing legal framework, which renders the likelihood of visa sponsorship slim for many, a disproportionate number of international students are being railroaded into industries that more readily sponsor visa applications. These include areas such as engineering, consulting, financial services and investment banking.
South Asians in particular have earned a reputation for being Wall Street junkies – loyal minions to consulting firms such as McKinsey and Co. and Deloitte Consulting, or investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.
"Large banks tend to hire with far less regard for citizenship status. They are well-oiled machines, primed to handle H1B visas," explained Barbara Hewitt, senior associate director of Wharton School's career center at the University of Pennsylvania. "Due to the fact that these banks hire in large waves, it is economically viable for them to employ legal counsel to handle the process."
Peggy Curchack, another senior associate director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Career Center, said that even the aforementioned industries are becoming less likely to sponsor foreign students, unless their educational choices coincide neatly with the firm's requirements.
"Our data or firms hiring foreign nationals dramatically demonstrates that there has been a real cutback in firms hiring foreign nationals, with the exception of scientists and engineers.
While in the past a great history major from Sri Lanka could get a job in consulting, or an international relations major from Argentina could get a banking job, this has become increasingly difficult. Employers are looking for very tight "fits" between undergraduate curriculum and the job being filled, and are less willing to be broad in their hiring."
Coupled with the cultural ideals that condition many South Asians to consider science and finance more acceptable than humanities or the liberals arts, is the pressure they feel to mold their educational backgrounds in a manner that will best enhance their likelihood of finding jobs that will allow them to remain in the United States.
"I wish I had decided to major in business instead of English," stated Franklin and Marshall senior, Diah Mehera. "I'm, currently exploring the option of working in marketing or publishing industries, but getting sponsorship is next to impossible. With a business degree I might have done something like consulting, which enormously ups one's likelihood of getting a work visa."
Jehan Mahmood, a senior at Mount Holyoke College said: "It's hard for a lot of students to draw a line between where their ideals lie and where they end up.
At my college, I see many international students, from small towns, who have come to the United States on financial aid and who don't have the option of going home without paying off their loans. Students tend to subconsciously streamline their courses and even shift their mindset towards wanting to have jobs in industries that sponsor."
International graduates "are not moving out of the country; they are being forced out. As a result event the number of students who come to the United States has reduced in the last five years – they are starting to go to places that they know they will be able to stay in," explained Steve Mclean, co-founder and operations director of H1base.com
It remains to be seen then whether the next few years will bring about a shift in the global direction that foreign students seem to be taking, with places like Singapore and Dubai appearing more attractive due to their improving English language educational systems coupled with the advantages offered by less stringent visa restrictions.
Unlike American students, who have the luxury of taking a year off after college to "find themselves," pursue their interests or just go traveling, foreign students tend to apply for jobs immediately, in order to make best use of their optional practical training visa (a 12- month temporary employment authorization given to graduates of U.S. colleges.)
“The reason I’m getting a job right after college is primarily so that I can stay in the United States for a year. Once my visa runs out I’ll go to grad school in New York; again, this is not something I would choose to do this early on if I had a choice,” explained Anjali Bhalodia, a Mount Holyoke College architectural studies major and Indian citizen.
Barbara Hewitt of Wharton’s career center said, “My best piece of advice to any international student: Be flexible. Being a foreign national is an added hurdle in a competitive job market, and limiting your choices only compounds the problem.”
The reality however is that being “flexible,” often translates into diluting the value of one’s education, or patterning one’s ideal and interests, all in favor of a work permit.
A few short weeks from now, the class of 2007 will don their black robes and leave the hallowed halls of education to face the real world. Of the numerous foreign nationals who pepper is accomplished body, some will resign themselves to the idea of being inducted into Wall Street’s white-collar army, perhaps trading musical aspirations for Merrill Lynch or journalistic ambitions for JP Morgan. Others will have to take their talents elsewhere.
