International Student Faces H-1B Visa Fee, May Seek Work in Canada

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Yuran Zhang, a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a student visa, after President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa hires at US companies. It has been edited for length and clarity.

President Donald Trump’s changes to the H-1B visa are throwing my postgrad plans up in the air.

After completing the first two years of my undergraduate degree in China, I enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024 to complete my degree in data and information science on a student visa.

Since my student visa expires next year, my plan was to use my OPT, or Optional Practical Training — a temporary work authorization for international students — to stay in the US after graduation. It also has a 24-month extension, and I planned to use that time to enter the H-1B lottery to stay and work in the US.

I’m not sure if that’s possible for me anymore. It’s unclear how the visa changes will play out, but I’m worried that if I get an H-1B and eventually renew it inside the US, I might not be able to leave the country and visit my family in China. I don’t want to risk there being travel restrictions where I wouldn’t be able to see my family for extended periods of time.

The uncertainty surrounding international visas is definitely making me rethink where I want to pursue my data science career. I’ve always regarded the US as an immigrant country, and I thought it would be the most welcoming for students like myself who want to make a career in the US. My goal is still to land a job at an American tech company, but I’m also looking at jobs abroad, including in Canada, if the H-1B visa doesn’t pan out.

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The door is closing for immigrants

The US is supposed to be the greatest country in the world. It’s big, there are many job opportunities, and competition is fierce. But Trump’s latest H-1B changes mean that the door is closing on those opportunities.

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To me, the new visa fee is a sign that immigrants aren’t welcome in the US, and even if I’m able to get a visa and land a job here, I’m not sure if I would be happy if the administration doesn’t want me to be here. Many of my peers are in a similar boat; I have friends studying computer science who wanted to further their careers in the US, but they’re now looking at opportunities in places like Canada and Singapore.

I also knew where Trump stood on immigration, so this wasn’t a total shock, but it seems like his policies are changing every day, which brings a heightened sense of confusion and insecurity. He’s sending a message to the country that only the top-tier talent from other countries should be prioritized.

Amid all the uncertainty, landing a job in the US remains my goal if I’m able to find a job that offers sponsorship. If that doesn’t happen, I’m considering furthering my studies and pursuing a master’s degree, either in the US or in Canada. I would still advise other international students that now’s the time to start looking for opportunities in other countries because we can’t count on job security in the US.