H1B visa hopefuls bracing for the impact of a second Trump term

Many South Asian immigrants are worried a second Trump term will either drastically slow down or quash the potential of securing an H1B.

Like many visa-holding immigrants, a 24-year-old Ph.D. student in upstate New York said she lives in a constant state of anxiety. The student, who asked to be anonymous out of fear of retaliation, is currently on an F-1 student visa and worries that if she leaves the country even on a vacation, she might not be let back in, that her status might suddenly change. 

With President-elect Donald Trump preparing to retake office with a crew of Cabinet members with anti-legal immigration platforms, she now has an additional worry: it might be impossible for her to get on a more permanent H-1B, a visa for specialized occupations, when she graduates.

“I am anxious to know how and what changes he ends up making,” the student said. “In four years, the world could be literally at 180 degrees.”  

Following Trump’s re-election victory, many immigrants are worried a second Trump term would introduce restrictions on the H-1B visa program, like he attempted to do during his first term. Trump himself, his allies and Cabinet picks have made promises to make cuts to the program, which experts say would have a huge impact on the tech sector.

“People are in a state of panic … they are expecting the worst,” said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the nonprofit South Asian Network. “‘Is my application going to be accepted? During the course of my approval process, where do I stand? Can I be deported?”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/h1b-visas-trump-second-term-immigration-rcna181351

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