Foreign students caught up in the US elections

International students who study in the US have taken a stand in response to the first, second and third presidential debates and the overall feel of the US elections. In just a few hours, broadcasts of the final presidential polls will air in every news channel and the election results will be revealed. Until then, here are a few things you should know about international students in the United States and prospective students and what they think about the presidential election.

The US is the number one study abroad destination for international students, hosting hundreds of thousands of students from countries like China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and Mexico. 

These students are doing degrees study topics like business and management, engineering, mathematics, computer science, social sciences, education and agriculture. Students move to the US because they know that studying in the US will enhance their academic skills, help their career and in general, improve their lives. International students contribute over $30 billion to the US economy and are a huge asset to the intellectual academic community.   

International students on campus: 

Although they can't vote, international students have been active in the presidential campaigns on campus and off campus. They took part in promoting the candidates on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit and Quora, to influence the opinions of their American peers. They were also encouraged to participate in rallies on campuses across the US campaigns for either the democratic candidate or the republican candidate.  

This year, foreign students made efforts to help American citizens register to vote by providing IT support. Some even provided rides to vote, to make sure everyone has a chance to get their voice heard.  

Many foreign students saw this as a way to support not only their ideology but their interests too. A lot of questions which were relevant to them were raised during the presidential rallies. Many thought that this year's election will determine their fate in their academic life in the US due to potential future immigration restrictions and new foreign policies which the US might adopt, depending on the candidate that wins.

Prospective international students:

Prospective students know the many benefits to studying in America, but just like the international students who are already studying in universities like Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Duke, Trinity, Stanford and more, they are also influenced by this year’s election. 

A research done by FPP EDU Media, surveyed more than 40,000 prospective international students from 118 countries. 60% of these students said that they would have less of an affinity towards studying in the US if Donald Trump was elected, while 3.8% said they wouldn’t want to study in the US if Hilary Clinton won.  

The main root of their concern is the possibility that their rights to student visas, work opportunities and options to stay will be threatened. After Obama created the immigration reform, many international students were happy to find out that they can stay in the United States after they graduate. They now fear that possible immigration restrictions might change the law.  

For more information about international students in the US, feel free to leave us a comment below or contact us at: info@gradtrain.com.