Going abroad to pursue higher education is common in Nepal. Like other countries, America is a prominent choice among Nepalese students. However, under the President Trump administration, new American policy has imposed more struggles for Nepali students. Meanwhile, there are over 13000 Nepali students studying in America. As the new generation of young people applying for the United States, it has increased network people to people ties between Nepal and the United States.

But the new policy will change the existing relationship. Previously, Nepal and the US boosts excellent bilateral relations and were growing every year. But after the Covid-19 outbreak, American Policy has made it difficult for Nepali student to pursue their education in America by introducing a fixed end-date policy on student visas.

New American Policy

The new American policy has proposed rules to have a fixed period of stay for international students and visitors. The proposed regulation assumed to minimized fraud and to enhance the national security of America.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media, proposes to remove the duration of the status framework that currently allows aliens in F, J and I classifications to remain in the United States for as long as they maintain compliance with the terms of admission.

New Law Will Be Implemented For 59 Countries

Along with Nepal, the new law will be implemented for 59 countries. The new policy has limited the validity period to two years. Basically, the law has been imposed on the countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism or of those who have overlay records of 10%. Before this law, students were valid to stay as long as their enrolled course duration.

The American department of homeland security has limited the duration to two years. Meanwhile, the Universities program that took more than two years need to apply further base on the government set criteria. But there is no any clarification how some could get granted for such an extension.

Student Flow In American Universities

Foregin students in United Students generates an estimated $32 Billion in revenue annually. However, over the years, the flow of international students has been decreased. The number of enrolled international students at American colleges and universities decreased at all academic levels — undergraduate, graduate, and nondegree — in the 2018-19 academic year.

The number of international undergraduate students declined by 2.4 percent, the number of international graduate students declined by 1.3 percent and the number of international non-degree students declined by 5 percent.

Policy Targets To Minimize Overstay Rates

Experts claimed that the majority of people that belong from overstay category are Chinese, Indian, Brazilians and Canadian. However, currently, the policy does not affect the people belongs to from these countries. According to the U.S government, countries with the highest overstay visa rates are Syria and Nigeria.

In fiscal year 2019, Burundi, for example, had a 44 percent visa overstay rate for students and exchange visitors — one of the highest worldwide. But it accounted for only 127 of the more than 60,000 total estimated overstays. China, by comparison, had a less than 2 percent overstay rate in those visa categories, but as the top-sending country for foreign students, it accounted for more than 11,000 overstays.

Impact On Nepalese Student

With no doubt, the new law will decrease the number of Nepali students applying in the United States for education. Most of the Nepali students who went to the United States have some debts that they need to pay. And after the new American Law, within two years, it will be hard for Nepalese student to pay their loan, and to complete their education. So perhaps Nepalese students will no longer pursue their dreams in America. However, in recent year Australia has become the ideal palce for Nepalese staudents.