by Akindele Akinyemi

There is so much talk and confusion with the recent actions of current U.S. President Donald Trump as it pertains to the immigration issue. First, let me say that the issue of immigration reform has been blown out of proportion and has created an unnecessary divisive atmosphere. However, we all know that immigration is vital to rebuilding local urban communities that are struggling with a depleted tax base.

Which is why international students here in the U.S., who are attending an institution of higher learning, plays a huge role in reshaping local urban communities economically and academically.

International students play a critical role in redesigning our local communities because globalization is obliterating the distinction between foreign and domestic concerns. Today, most domestic problems are also international problems. The global economic and technology revolutions are redefining the nation’s economic security and are reshaping business, work, and life. Moreover, the U.S. educational system fails to produce graduates with the knowledge and skills required for a global workforce. U.S. competitiveness is a national interest. It underpins national security and leadership, and deliberate policies are required to facilitate it.

International students make up a greater percentage of the overall U.S. student population than ever before, and their numbers are rising rapidly. Also, international students typically pay full tuition, boosting revenues for schools. 1,078,822 international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $36.9 billion and supported more than 450,000 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2016-2017 academic year.

While, the United States issues different types of student visas, but most international students receive the F-1, a nonimmigrant visa for full-time academic study. Because the F-1 visa is only for educational purposes, the U.S. government places restrictions on the employment options for F-1 holders. However, this does not mean that you cannot work if you have an F-1 visa.

On the other hand, in places like Canada, an international student may work if they have the following:

1. On-Campus Work Permit Exemption: Full-time foreign students with a valid Canada study permit seeking to work on campus do not require a Canadian work permit.
2. Off-Campus Work Permits: Foreign students studying full time on a valid Canada study permit may be authorized to work off-campus if their school participates in an off-campus work permit program through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
3. Co-op Programs & Internship Work Permits: Foreign students who are studying in a program that requires work experience such as through a co-op or internship program.
4. Post-Graduate Work Permits: Foreign students who have graduated from an academic program in Canada which lasted a minimum of eight months, they may qualify for a Post-Graduate Work Permit. Generally, the Canada work permit will be valid for the same duration as your Canada study permit was.
5. Work Permits for the Spouse of a Foreign Student: A spouse accompanying a foreign student on a valid Canada study permit is also entitled to a Canadian study permit or an open work permit, which does not require a job offer or Labor Market Opinion.

   In Australia, if you are a student visa holder, you and your dependent family members have permission to work included with your visa. You and your family members must not breach the work conditions that apply to their student visa. Students and their families must not breach the work conditions that apply to their student visa.

Here in the United States there should be a path for international students on an F-1 visa to work in their first year with options of working to earn not just a living for their families but also work in capacities that will help them post-graduation. This is why we need reform in employment-based immigration policy based on the following:

• Welcoming foreign students and expand "dual intent"-now offered only to certain high-skilled professionals-to remove the requirement that in order to obtain a visa and study in the United States, students must prove that they have no intention of staying, working, and contributing to our economy and local communities after they graduate.
• Create a direct path to green cards for those students who have the education and skills needed in our economy and have employers willing to sponsor them.
• Allow spouses and children of foreign students and scholars to engage in study and work opportunities.

International students contribute to the local economy upon graduation from a higher education institution. For example, Sub-Saharan African immigrants have higher levels of educational attainment than the U.S. population as a whole, and are more likely to have earned their degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, or STEM, field. In addition, 40 percent of African immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree—making them 30 percent more likely to achieve that level of education than the U.S. population overall. Of this group, about one in three, or 33.4 percent, has STEM degrees, training heavily in demand by today’s employers.

Finally, by enabling the attitudes, policies, and programs that accelerate immigrant inflows and support retention of first and second generation families in the metro area, it is necessary to revitalize our regional population and economy—a regional economy in dramatic need of the population growth, diversity and multi-national connectivity, and entrepreneurial energy that immigrants bring.

At this point, African and Caribbean stakeholders must move from the social justice aspect of immigration reform to the academic and economic impacts of immigration reform to empower local urban communities. It’s time to strategize on economic policies that include international education with our students. This way, we can develop a strong outreach to help us create champions who can carry the message—whether it is in a floor speech or a piece of legislation—that a global outlook and a commitment to international education makes our country more prosperous, more secure, and better prepared for the future.