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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
'Go back to India': Vivek Ramaswamy's anniversary post for wife targeted by racist H-1B backlash
Indian-origin entrepreneur and former DOGE member Vivek Ramaswamy's heartfelt post celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary was marred by a wave of racist and anti-immigration remarks, highlighting growing tensions around the H-1B visa program in the US. In the post, Ramaswamy shared the story of his first date with his wife, Apoorva, along with pictures of the couple. 'In the fall of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student named Apoorva & asked her out on a first date—to head west for a weekend & hike Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. She accepted. We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn about still making it, when she grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, & said we had a lifetime ahead to come back and finish it. 14 years & two kids later, we finally made it back to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary this weekend,' he wrote, alongside photos of the couple at the mountain. However, the post quickly drew racist backlash. Several commenters told the couple to 'go back to India' and mocked their presence in the US. One wrote, 'We would rather you go back to India and explore the hiking trails there,' while another said, 'You weren't built for winter weather.' A third snarky remark asked, 'Don't you have mountains in your home country?' Ramaswamy is the second prominent Indian-origin figure in recent weeks, after Walmart CTO Suresh Kumar, to face racist attacks online amid increasing outrage around immigration and foreign workers. Ironically, Ramaswamy has publicly criticised the H-1B visa program and advocated for significant reforms. Nonetheless, critics online have accused him of favouring the very system he critiques, based on his Indian identity. The H-1B visa allows highly skilled foreign workers to live and work legally in the US. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indian nationals accounted for over 70% of all H-1B recipients in fiscal year 2023. The program has long been contentious, with critics arguing it undercuts American jobs.
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Studying in US? Here are expert-backed side hustles that don't risk your visa
Living and studying in the US has never been cheap. With tuition fees rising and rent shooting through the roof in college towns, many international students, especially from countries like India, are on the lookout for ways to make extra there's a catch. Students on F-1 visas are only allowed to work under specific conditions. In fact, in the past year, there's been a growing crackdown on unauthorised student work. Immigration authorities have been more alert than ever, especially with the spike in remote and gig why it's now more important than ever to understand what kinds of jobs and side hustles are legal for international students in the US -- and which ones could get you into serious EASIEST LEGAL OPTION: ON-CAMPUS JOBAccording to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the safest route is on-campus work. Students can work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session and full-time during popular on-campus roles include:Library or lab assistantsBookstore staffAdministrative support in departmentsTeaching or research assistantsThese roles not only pay but can also help students get familiar with campus life and build networks. WANT INTERNSHIPS OR CAREER EXPERIENCE? GO FOR CPT OR OPTFor off-campus, career-focused experience, F-1 students can explore:Curricular Practical Training (CPT): This is often part of a course requirement. CPT lets you do paid internships or part-time work related to your major. You'll need university Practical Training (OPT): This is a bigger opportunity -- students can work for up to 12 months (or 36 months for STEM graduates) in a role related to their field of study. OPT can be done before or after INCOME: YES, BUT WITH BOUNDARIESSome remote or online jobs are permitted under CPT, OPT, or on-campus authorisation, such as:Virtual assistant for university departmentsOnline tutoring for campus programmesContent creation for university platformsA few other types of passive income also don't break visa rules. For example:Earnings from savings account interestDividends from legal investmentsRoyalties from books, music, or academic contentHowever, any activity that involves "active work" -- like freelancing or rideshare driving -- is a strict no. Even cash-based gigs like babysitting or tutoring without formal university approval are off-limits. WHAT TO AVOID AT ALL COSTSIt might be tempting to pick up an under-the-table job or do freelance gigs online. But working without proper authorisation can lead to visa cancellation, deportation, or future entry accepting any job, international students should speak to their Designated School Official (DSO), who will guide them on what's TO BALANCE STUDIES AND WORK LEGALLYThousands of international students manage part-time work and academics successfully every year -- legally. The key is to plan ahead, understand the rules, and take help from university career money is tight, students can also explore education loans that cover living expenses, so there's no pressure to find illegal in a new country is tough. But staying informed about legal options makes the journey a lot smoother -- and safer.(With inputs from Prodigy Finance) advertisement
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Challenges Mount For International Students As Trump's USCIS Nominee Eyes OPT Ban
Last Updated: President Trump's USCIS nominee, Joseph Edlow, plans to eliminate the OPT programme, worrying international students. Amid ongoing uncertainties surrounding their academic future, international students in the United States face a fresh challenge, with President Donald Trump's nominee for the top role at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Joseph Edlow, indicating that he intends to eliminate the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme if selected for the job. Edlow made the statement during a recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, reigniting concerns among international students already navigating a complex immigration landscape, as reported by Financial Express. In recent weeks, reportedly, many students currently on OPT have received alarming letters from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), threatening termination of their SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records and possible deportation. One such letter, accessed by The Times of India, warned students about the absence of employer details in their SEVIS records, noting that this could count as unemployment — a violation of OPT rules. The letter gave recipients 15 days to update their records or face immigration proceedings. What Is OPT And Why Does It Matter? The Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme is a key pathway for international students in the U.S. to gain hands-on work experience after completing their degrees. Under this programme, eligible students are allowed to work for up to 12 months in their field of study. Those with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can apply for a 24-month extension, known as STEM OPT. Students must report employment information in the SEVIS system to remain compliant. As per current regulations, OPT participants are allowed a maximum of 90 days of unemployment within the standard 12-month period. For those on STEM OPT, an additional 60 days is permitted. A move to end OPT will deeply impact the Indian students in the US, who form one of the largest international student populations in the country. According to the Open Doors 2024 report, there were 331,602 Indian students in the US during the 2023–2024 academic year. Of these, 97,556 were participating in the OPT programme — a staggering 41% increase from the previous year. If the OPT programme is indeed dismantled, it could severely limit post-study work opportunities for Indian students and disrupt the educational and career plans of thousands. The proposed changes could also make the US a less attractive destination for higher education. First Published: May 28, 2025, 10:52 IST
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Bad news for Indian students in US, Trump administration to stop students from..., no jobs for...
(Representational image/AI generated) New Delhi: Students in America who are thinking of working after graduation may face a big blow. Preparations are underway to end Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the USA. Even though President Donald Trump has stated that foreign students should receive green cards after graduating from American universities, his nominee for the post of the director at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says they want to prevent students from working in the country after graduation. This decision has raised concerns among students. President Trump has chosen Joseph Edlow as the nominee for 'U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS). During the nomination hearing, Edlow stated that he wants to end OPT. Edlow is set to take charge of USCIS as the director soon. Economists, business leaders, and educators say that ending OPT and STEM OPT would be a wrong decision. They argue that this will prevent America from attracting top talent to the country and from retaining them. According to a Forbes report, during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Joseph Edlow was asked what changes he would make to the OPT programme if he were made the head of USCIS. In response, he said, 'I think the way the OPT has been handled, aided by some decisions from the DC Circuit court over the past four years, has been a real problem in terms of the misuse of the law.' He further stated, 'I would like to see OPT as a regulatory and sub-regulatory programme that would allow us to eliminate the ability of F-1 students to obtain jobs after their time at college.' In simpler terms, Joseph is saying that he does not want students to stay in the country and work after graduating from college. If he becomes the director of USCIS, that could become possible. What is the OPT programme? Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows F-1 students to work in the United States after graduation. They can work for 12 months. If someone has a degree in 'Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics' (STEM) fields, they also receive a 24-month extension, meaning they can work for 3 years. The number of Indian students benefiting from OPT and STEM OPT is the highest. In 2022-23, about 70,000 Indian students took advantage of this programme.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's USCIS nominee targets OPT, raising alarms among Indian students in US
Trump's nominee for Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Joseph Edlow , has told a Senate panel that he supports ending post-graduation work permits for international students . The statement has raised serious concern among foreign student communities, including thousands of Indian students studying in the United States. Edlow made these remarks during a recent hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. When asked about potential changes to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, Edlow said, 'I think the way in which OPT has been handled over the past four years, with the help of certain decisions coming out of the DC Circuit Court, have been a real problem in terms of misapplication of the law.' Under the current system, international students holding F-1 visas are eligible for a one-year OPT after graduation. Students from STEM fields can get an additional two-year extension. Edlow told the committee that he supports limiting work authorisation only to the time students are enrolled in academic programmes, not after graduation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Wärmepumpen-Hammer: So kosten Wärmepumpen 2025 fast nichts Wärmepumpe Vergleich Mehr erfahren Undo Immigration attorneys said his comments suggest a plan to allow only a one-year OPT that runs parallel to studies, effectively removing post-graduation work opportunities. This has caused anxiety among international students already facing issues like sudden cancellations of their visa or SEVIS status. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The OPT programme has been under legal scrutiny since 2014. The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers (WashTech) first challenged its validity. In October 2022, the US Court of Appeals (DC Circuit) upheld the programme, including the STEM extension. A request to review the case was turned down by the US Supreme Court , as per a report by The Times of India. Live Events You Might Also Like: H-1B visa faces fresh flak after new picks hit multi-year low amid continuing tech layoffs A bill to eliminate OPT has also been introduced in the US House of Representatives, but it is unlikely to pass in the Senate. According to the Open Doors Report for the academic year 2022-23, the US hosted 2.7 lakh Indian students, out of which 69,000 participated in the OPT programme. Responding to the recent development, Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents' Alliance, said, 'Aiming to end post-graduation OPT will undermine the US overall ability to recruit and retain top talent from around the world. Experiential learning is and has long been a crucial component of education in this country. This includes post-graduation OPT opportunities.' She further added, 'Today, over 2.4 lakh international students participate in OPT, many in STEM fields. OPT enhances the educational experiences of international students while bolstering the workforce in communities across the US, supporting employers, and contributing to our economic competitiveness. We encourage the department of homeland security to prioritise policies that expand America's global and domestic talent pipeline to spur innovation, boost our economy, and secure our nation's future as a global education and research leader.' You Might Also Like: Trump's ally calls for H-1B visa curbs after action on Indian travel agencies linked to illegal immigration
