look news india
A very big and warning news is coming for the Indian students who dream of going abroad to pursue higher education and get a master’s degree from the American University. Recently, an advice given by a senior Indian student to his juniors and other youth of the country has created a stir in social media and academic circles. This student, who is studying in America, has bluntly appealed to the Indian students to give up the idea of coming to America for Masters studies. He says that today the condition of the American job market has become very bad, where neither graduates are able to get decent jobs nor the process of H-1B visa or green card is any easier. After this sensational revelation, there has been a wave of concern among lakhs of families and students who were preparing to take admission in prestigious universities of America with their hard-earned money and loans.
What is the current truth of the American job market and why are the problems of students increasing?
For the last few decades, America has been considered the land of dreams for Indian engineers, tech professionals and management students, where after completing the degree, they used to get jobs with packages worth lakhs of crores. But in the last few years, especially in the tech sector, the entire scenario has changed due to recession, large-scale layoffs and reduction in expenses by companies. The current situation is that even after completing MS or MBA degree from top universities of America, students are not getting interview calls for months. Those students who somehow get internship or initial jobs, the biggest problem they face is legal status i.e. visa. Due to America’s strict immigration rules and visa lottery system, every year thousands of talented youth are forced to return to their country without jobs, due to which both their career and mental balance get shattered.
Visa crisis and uncertainty of H-1B lottery broke the morale of students
The main way for international students to stay in America after studies is ‘Optical Practical Training’ i.e. OPT, after which they have to apply for H-1B visa. But for the last few sessions, the number of applicants in the lottery system for H-1B visa has become so high and the quota is so limited that the names of most of the students are not able to appear in that lottery. Due to this serious problem, many times students have to re-tie for several years in a row or are forced to leave America. The senior student, who shared his ordeal on social media platforms, clearly said that tuition fees and living expenses are skyrocketing in America, for which students often take huge loans from banks. When no job is available after completion of studies, repaying that huge loan becomes a terrible mental torture for the students and their parents, and that is why she advised others not to follow this path.
Huge gap between false advertisements of education agents and ground reality
Today, thousands of such consultancy and education agents are active across the country who show golden dreams to students and their parents in the name of studying abroad. Just for the sake of their commission and fees, they hide how dire and competitive the situation has become on foreign soil. They tell the students that in America the salary is given in dollars, but they do not tell how high the cost of living is there and what level of cut-throat competition one has to go through to survive in the job market. After this viral warning, now academicians and career counselors also say that instead of blindly being misled, students should take any major decision only after deeply understanding the current global economic situation, the demand of their field and the visa rules.
The way forward and the importance of options for Indian students
This entire incident has once again sparked a debate on whether studying abroad is the only guarantee of success. In today’s changing times, India’s own domestic job market, startup ecosystem and technical sector are also developing very rapidly, where there is no dearth of opportunities for skilled youth. Even if a student is deciding to go abroad, he or she should not be limited to the US but should also consider the options of Europe, Canada or other emerging countries where immigration policies may be slightly different and favorable. Ultimately, this advice is not just a warning but a mirror for all the youth who should carefully check the ground reality of every aspect before putting their hard-earned money and future at stake.