Dear reader,
If there is one thing that is certain, it is that nothing is certain.
One of my most annoying lines was the following: "If we're lucky, we'll meet again."
I would always use it every time I'd leave for the city; my parents hated it. But, well, it is true. Who knows if a tsunami or earthquake took us away tonight. We have no way of being certain.
While I have, over the years, dealt with and overcome multiple uncertainties, I think I'm in a big one right now. This has stemmed from my decision of moving to the US for my education.
When I was making this decision, the plan was clear: I would come to the US, excel at my university, upskill myself, get a good internship, obtain work experience, and then find a way to create impact.
Things were going roughly according to plan: I tutor Math and CS to other students at my university, I'm starting a role at the career center this fall, and I am leading two clubs, one of which was recognized as the Most Improved Organization and I as an Emerging Leader. I've been constantly learning new things and upskilling myself, but as it turns out, that isn't enough to give me security.
The recent policies by the current administration have made me wonder if I made a mistake coming here.
If you know anything about me, you'll know that I've always been keen about side projects. I started my first side hustle (a blog) in high school. It paid for a good portion of my high school fees. I used to freelance. I had a business when I was in Nepal. I have a monetized YouTube channel where I posted pretty frequently. All of those things needed to stop when I moved to the US.
On an F1 visa, you can only work in the field of your major and at a company for which you have obtained work authorization. 20 hours a week at a maximum during semester and full time during the summer.
In other words, no side hustle, no businesses, no experiments, no exploring possibilities other than your major.
But I was like, "Fine, that's okay. I will just gain work experience first."
However, that too seems like a very difficult thing to do right now. First came the $100,000 fee on H1B applications. Later, it was modified to be applicable only for candidates who were applying from outside the US.
Recently, the time to either leave the country or find a job after you graduate was cut from 60 days to 30 days. The new rule also says international students cannot change majors or transfer schools in their first year. Thankfully, that is not applicable to me.
Right now, there are talks in Washington to apply a $100,000 fee for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows us international students to obtain a year of work experience after we graduate.
All of these changes and uncertainties have driven a lot of companies to post openings with this line:
This is not just Capital One, but a lot of other companies. The reason why I included this particular screenshot was that I was recently able to connect with a Chief of Staff at Capital One.
I was fairly confident that I'd be able to get a referral, which would make it more likely that I land an interview with them. I had a calendar reminder and everything set up to be able to apply for their 2027 Technology Internship Program once it was posted. But when they posted it, I didn't even qualify.
That means F-1 CPT while I'm a student, and F-1 OPT once I graduate — both of which are now under threat.
Hiring international students is a major investment for companies since hiring us would also entail sponsoring our OPT and later our H-1B visa applications.
When the administration does what it is doing right now, it makes companies not even bother taking the risk of having to deal with such uncertainties. This results in us getting no or close to no opportunity to obtain practical work experience. Without real work experience, a degree is not that useful. Unless you get a chance to work by doing, you don't really learn.
I left my home to get a good education in the US. That included not only my family but also all my friends, all the people and places that gave me peace. That was hard.
There is a possibility that things don't work out and I leave the country without much work experience. I could say that there are other countries in the world where I'd get more opportunities.
But again, I'd need to uproot myself from here entirely and start all over again elsewhere. Most of the money, time, and energy I invested in establishing myself here will go to waste.
At least if I were able to obtain good work experience, it would be easier because I'd be able to get a job and move elsewhere. Now, although I am grateful to have an internship right now, it is not significant work experience.
There is also a possibility that with projects I've worked on and the relationships I've built, I might be able to get a good job. There is a possibility that things work out. But there's also a possibility that things don't work out.
Whatever happens will decide what the rest of my life looks like.
That is the uncertainty of being an international student.
If you relate on any level, I'd love to hear your story.
I'll see you next week.
Warmly,
Suraj