October 16, 2025: This Week in International Student News
- Carrie Circosta
- Oct 16
- 6 min read
You guys...I just learned about ChatFishing. I'm laughing...yet shook.
Love-seeker, Rachel, shared her story with The Guardian...saying she would not be "ChatGPT'ed into bed again."
...AGAIN?!
AI might be writing love messages now....I'm gonna stick to summarizing the latest news concerning international students:
📰 Top Headlines: Trump admin revokes visas over Charlie Kirk comments, MIT president rejects White House "compact" that would cap international students at 15%, and new OPT Observatory reveals patterns in international student workforce
💰 Scholarship Spotlight: Shoreline College (formerly Shoreline Community College) offers scholarships up to $2,000 for new international students—plus a unique High School Completion program
🌟 Interesting Find: From H-1B to the C-Suite—how notable tech leaders started their US journey on work visas
⚡ Deep Dive: Immigration Corner: Understanding US work visas and green cards—breaking down the numbers in a way that is easy to understand
Swipe right...err...down?...for the latest news.
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐
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📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK
🚨 Trump Admin Revokes Visas Over Charlie Kirk Comments
The State Department just pulled the visas of six foreigners from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa for social media posts about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Officials say they "celebrated" or "made light of" the conservative activist's death in September. The move came the same day Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down: "Aliens who take advantage of America's hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed." Civil liberties groups are sounding alarms about free speech violations, especially since the administration is also reviewing the status of 55 million current US visa holders. (AP News)
📚 MIT President Rejects Trump's Higher Ed "Compact"
MIT President Sally Kornbluth just said "no thanks" to a White House proposal asking nine elite universities to adopt Trump's political agenda in exchange for favorable federal funding. The compact demands schools cap international undergrads at 15% (no more than 5% from any single country), freeze tuition for five years, eliminate race and sex from admissions, apply a binary gender definition to bathrooms and sports, and "transform or abolish" units that "punish conservative ideas." Kornbluth said MIT "cannot support" the deal because it limits free speech and university independence. Other schools invited include UPenn, Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, USC, Brown, UVA, and University of Arizona. Democrats in Virginia and California are threatening to cut state funding if their universities sign on. (AP News)
📊 New OPT Observatory Reveals Hidden Patterns in International Student Workforce
The Institute for Progress just launched the OPT Observatory, the most comprehensive database ever on Optional Practical Training. The interactive website lets you explore where international students come from, what they study, and how they transition to the US workforce. Here are some eye-opening stats: 56% of all international graduates from 2010-2022 used OPT, but participation peaked in 2017 and has been declining since. In 2022, 56% of engineering PhDs and 58% of math and computer science PhDs went to international students—making OPT critical to keeping STEM talent in the US. The site also tracks state retention rates (California and Texas retain over 60% of their OPT graduates, while states like New Jersey and Maryland have seen 10% drops since 2010) and visa transitions. The Institute for Progress is a non-partisan DC-based think tank focused on accelerating scientific, technological, and industrial progress through policy reform. (OPT Observatory)
🎓 FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
Shoreline College (Formerly Shoreline Community College)
Big news from the Pacific Northwest! Shoreline Community College is now officially Shoreline College, reflecting its growth and global vision while keeping the Shoreline name students know. The Seattle-area college just welcomed 166 new international students from 20 countries this fall and is offering scholarships up to $2,000 for new students after acceptance. Shoreline also has a unique High School Completion program where international students can earn both their high school diploma AND a two-year associate degree at the same time—perfect for students who want to fast-track their U.S. education. We help international students apply to schools like Shoreline - reply to this email to learn more.
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
💼 From H-1B to the C-Suite
Ever wonder how many tech giants started on an H-1B visa? Turns out, a lot. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella came to the US in the 1990s on an H-1B and joined Microsoft in 1992, eventually rising to CEO in 2014. Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai arrived in the US on an H-1B after earning his engineering degree in India, joining Google in 2004 and becoming CEO in 2015. Even Elon Musk started on an H-1B after his student visa expired, working at Zip2 before founding PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. Other Indian-origin leaders include Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas and countless engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs who've shaped Silicon Valley. The article highlights how H-1B visas have been a critical pipeline for global tech talent—and why the current debates around visa fees and caps hit so close to home for international students. (Times of India)
News in 1 Sentence
Major H-1B visa sponsor Tata Consultancy Services will stop hiring new H-1B applicants and reduce its 11,000 visa-holding employees in the U.S. as part of a strategy to hire more locally amid Trump's $100K visa fee.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who immigrated to the US as a child, announced that the company will continue hiring H-1B visa workers and pay the $100,000 fee imposed by the Trump Administration.
Stony Brook University opened a dedicated International Student Center in Melville Library with study spaces, staff offices, and tutoring support as international enrollment rebounds to nearly 4,000 students this fall.
Columbia University's International Student Hardship Fund disbursed nearly $500,000 to international students in six months as the university ramps up support amid visa terminations and federal scrutiny.
Florida Atlantic University's student newspaper removed an international student writer's name from a published article about Palestinian issues after their immigration attorney warned the piece could jeopardize their visa status under new DHS social media screening policies.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
Understanding US Work Visas and Green Cards
If you've been following me for a while, you know I absolutely love USAFacts. They're a nonpartisan, data-driven civic initiative that takes complex government data and makes it accessible and understandable for everyone.
I really appreciate how they've summarized the types of work visas and green cards the US approves in such a succinct and easy-to-understand way. I wanted to highlight the data they shared recently...and encourage you to "dive deeper" on your own when you have time.
The Big Picture
Over 1 million people came to work in the US through authorized channels in 2024.
95.2% came on temporary work visas, while only 4.8% received employment-based green cards.
Temporary Work Visas
The most common temporary work visas:
H-2A visas for temporary agricultural workers (valid for 1 year, extendable up to 3 years).
H-1B visas for "specialty occupations" like engineering, math, architecture, and medicine (valid for 3 years, extendable to 6 years) - the one making all the headlines lately.
But get this: In 2024, temporary agricultural workers received 315,328 H-2A visas (29.1% of all work visas), while H-1B visas accounted for 219,659 visas (20.2%).
And it's no surprise: 68.6% of H-1B visas went to workers from India—that's 150,647 people.
Employment-Based Green Cards
Some folks may transition from H-1B to an employment-based green card if they have the support of their employers. There are five "preference" levels for employment-based green cards, and three are work-related.
In 2024, "third preference" workers—usually positions that only require a bachelor's degree or less—received the largest share of green cards: 23,370 or 45% of all work-related green cards.
First preference goes to people with "extraordinary ability" (think Pulitzer Prize winners or Olympic athletes), while second preference is for those with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
Some temporary visa holders can apply for "adjustment of status" to transition from temporary work visas to green cards.
Final Facts
Again...in FY 2024, the US granted 1,085,196 work visas but only 52,500 employment-based green cards—that's just 4.6% going to permanent residency.
Over the last decade, employment-based green cards have made up only 3.3% of all work visas issued, while temporary work visas accounted for 96.7%.
Let's face it...the path to permanent residency via employment is not impossible, but...I'll just say it...it's pretty damn narrow.
Want to dive deeper into the data and see how the US immigration system really works? Head over to USAFacts to explore interactive graphs, detailed breakdowns, and even watch a video explaining the entire immigration system.
SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!
Disclaimer: International Student Voice is not an immigration attorney or immigration advisor. The purpose of this newsletter is strictly educational. Always consult with qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your situation.
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