In the previous round, Trump suspended immigration, which caused quite a bit of panic. This time, according to Forbes, the next focus is increasing restrictions on post-graduation OPT for international students. Of course, the reasons being cited are the usual ones: U.S. national security concerns, claims that OPT takes jobs from Americans, and so on.
At the end, the article also cited some research findings saying that OPT does not take away jobs, and that employment rates for STEM OPT are actually relatively high. Whether this is meant to help Trump hold onto his “throne” or simply to change the subject, life for Chinese international students will very likely become more difficult. To all of you out there grinding away, take care~
