By Jane Han
DALLAS — Despite living in the U.S. for almost five years, Kim Ju-young neither paid attention nor cared much about U.S. politics — until two weeks ago.
"Not until my immediate future started literally depending on the decisions made by the U.S. president," said Kim, 27, who studies music composition at the University of Texas in Austin.
The graduate student originally planned to pursue a professional career here in the U.S. upon graduating in just three short months, but for Kim — along with hundreds of thousands of other international students in the U.S. — President Donald Trump has stepped in as the single biggest obstacle toward their dream of employment here.
A draft executive order, which has been circulating for several weeks, would directly impact the H1-B visa, a competitive working visa that enables talented foreigners to legally live and work in the U.S. for up to six years and apply for permanent residency.
According to various news reports, the draft outlines that the secretary of homeland security must review all regulations on work visa programs within 90 days, make them "more efficient" and ensure "the best and the brightest" are being admitted.
And separately, legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at more than doubling the minimum salary for H1-B visa holders from the current $60,000 (68 million won) to $130,000, a change that may push employers away from hiring foreign workers.
"Landing a job in the U.S. has always been tough," Kim said, "but now, it's going to take a miracle."
So instead of trying to "fight the system," she has begun reaching out to several employers in Korea with the hopes to lock in a few promising job leads before heading home after graduation.
Thousands of other Korean students residing in the U.S. are all in the same boat.
A New York-based executive search firm that connects people in Korea and the U.S. says there is a "sense of panic."
"We're getting at least a dozen phone calls every day with people inquiring about job opportunities in Korea," said John Kim, a manager at the company. "Many of them are top talents with degrees from prestigious schools. They had a promising future here last year, but they're afraid that that's all been thrown out the window now."
Education consulting agencies are also feeling the impact of the fresh anti-immigration administration.
"I had two parents this week alone who dropped interest in sending their high school students to the U.S. to study," said Melissa Rhee, a consultant at Elite Education, a college prep and education consulting agency in Los Angeles. "The U.S. doesn't come off as attractive as it used to be. They're afraid the new Trump government will make life for their kids tougher in America than it is in Korea."
Despite all the uncertainties, legal experts say the executive order related to the H1-B visa is so far only a rumor and nothing concrete has been released.
"It's easy to feel lost and desperate during a time like this, but people should not make major decisions without checking the facts," said Julie Kim, an immigration lawyer.
DALLAS — Despite living in the U.S. for almost five years, Kim Ju-young neither paid attention nor cared much about U.S. politics — until two weeks ago.
"Not until my immediate future started literally depending on the decisions made by the U.S. president," said Kim, 27, who studies music composition at the University of Texas in Austin.
The graduate student originally planned to pursue a professional career here in the U.S. upon graduating in just three short months, but for Kim — along with hundreds of thousands of other international students in the U.S. — President Donald Trump has stepped in as the single biggest obstacle toward their dream of employment here.
A draft executive order, which has been circulating for several weeks, would directly impact the H1-B visa, a competitive working visa that enables talented foreigners to legally live and work in the U.S. for up to six years and apply for permanent residency.
According to various news reports, the draft outlines that the secretary of homeland security must review all regulations on work visa programs within 90 days, make them "more efficient" and ensure "the best and the brightest" are being admitted.
And separately, legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at more than doubling the minimum salary for H1-B visa holders from the current $60,000 (68 million won) to $130,000, a change that may push employers away from hiring foreign workers.
"Landing a job in the U.S. has always been tough," Kim said, "but now, it's going to take a miracle."
So instead of trying to "fight the system," she has begun reaching out to several employers in Korea with the hopes to lock in a few promising job leads before heading home after graduation.
Thousands of other Korean students residing in the U.S. are all in the same boat.
A New York-based executive search firm that connects people in Korea and the U.S. says there is a "sense of panic."
"We're getting at least a dozen phone calls every day with people inquiring about job opportunities in Korea," said John Kim, a manager at the company. "Many of them are top talents with degrees from prestigious schools. They had a promising future here last year, but they're afraid that that's all been thrown out the window now."
Education consulting agencies are also feeling the impact of the fresh anti-immigration administration.
"I had two parents this week alone who dropped interest in sending their high school students to the U.S. to study," said Melissa Rhee, a consultant at Elite Education, a college prep and education consulting agency in Los Angeles. "The U.S. doesn't come off as attractive as it used to be. They're afraid the new Trump government will make life for their kids tougher in America than it is in Korea."
Despite all the uncertainties, legal experts say the executive order related to the H1-B visa is so far only a rumor and nothing concrete has been released.
"It's easy to feel lost and desperate during a time like this, but people should not make major decisions without checking the facts," said Julie Kim, an immigration lawyer.
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