look news india
For Indian students who dream of getting higher education abroad and giving a new flight to their future, a news related to the world’s largest superpower country America has come out, which is enough to draw lines of worry on their forehead. Traditionally, America has been considered a symbol of the ‘American Dream’ for the youth around the world, where students used to dream of getting jobs in big companies by pursuing higher education on the basis of their hard work. But due to recent administrative and legal changes, the cost of staying in America after completing studies, finding a job and completing work visa formalities has started skyrocketing. According to reports, if a student looks for legal job opportunities in the US after completing his degree, he may have to bear huge expenses amounting to around Rs 68 lakh in the form of various legal and administrative charges. Such exorbitant financial costs have dealt a major blow to the dreams of bright students from middle-class families who take loans or spend their hard-earned money to get admission in US universities.
Heavy burden of work visa and legal formalities, why it has become difficult to survive in America
The process of ‘Optional Practical Training’ (OPT) that students receive while studying in the US and subsequently obtaining an H-1B visa or other work permit is already quite complex and full of uncertainties. The lottery system for H-1B visas and the huge increase in lawyers’ fees and application fees have now made the entire process so expensive that it is no longer possible for every student to afford it. When a youth enters the job market after completing his degree, he has to pay lakhs of rupees to consultants and immigration law firms to secure his sponsorship and legal documents, which leads to a huge debt burden in the initial stages. Moreover, the daily changes in the immigration policies there create a mental uncertainty within the students whether they will be able to stay there for a long time or not. This is the reason why students and their parents are now being forced to consider options other than America where the quality of education is excellent and career paths are not so difficult and expensive.
Those countries where you get a great work visa for free without any hassle after taking the degree.
Unlike America, there are many other developed countries of the world which are adopting very liberal, transparent and economical policies to attract international students, where work visa is available for free or at low cost as soon as the degree is completed. Among these, countries like Canada, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), and Australia are at the forefront, which have made the process of ‘Post-Study Work Visa’ very simple for students. For example, tuition fees at public universities in Germany are negligible or extremely low, and students are given ample time to find a job and a direct work permit after completion of their studies. Similarly, Canada and UK also provide students the opportunity to easily move towards work visa and Permanent Residency (PR) based on their degree to meet the demand of skilled youth in their economy. In these countries, unlike America, lakhs of rupees do not have to be wasted in legal fees, and students, on the basis of their hard work, start a stable and secure career in a very short time.
Changing scenario of studying abroad for Indian students and steps taken in the right direction
This changing scenario of studying abroad is a big lesson for today’s student community that they should not take their decision only by looking at the name or old glamor of any country, but should also understand the ground reality and economic mathematics of that country. If a student goes to a country like America with huge loans and gets stuck in legal expenses worth lakhs and crores of rupees in the initial stages of studying there, then his mental and financial stress increases a lot. In contrast, their future is more secure if they move to Germany, France, Ireland or other European and Asian countries where quality education as well as clear and easy career guarantees are available. Ultimately, amidst the rising costs of a job in the US and the liberal visa policies of other countries, students should take the final decision of their study abroad based on their financial situation and priorities, so that their and their family’s future is completely secure.