On January 20, just now, Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, marking the beginning of a new U.S. presidential term.
In his inaugural address today, Biden said, "This is America's day. This is a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. America has been tested anew, and America has risen to the challenge."
He called for a moment of silence for those "who have left us" in the pandemic, and repeatedly emphasized unity in his speech, urging the people to come together to confront enemies like anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, violence, disease, and more.
At the end of last year, Biden announced that within his first 100 days in office, he would primarily accomplish three goals: wearing masks, getting vaccinated against COVID-19, and reopening schools.
These three goals are undoubtedly good news for both the American public and the vast international student community. In particular, they bring new hope of returning to campus soon for international students who are currently in their home countries, physically and mentally exhausted from attending classes and taking exams across time zones.
The public is also closely watching how Biden will effectively help American universities and their students during his first 100 days. Measures such as relief institutions, research investments, overturning unwise visa policies from the Trump era, and raising scholarship caps will have a positive and profound impact on schools, students, and faculty.
Safely Reopening Schools, Getting Education Back on Track
U.S. officials say that on his first day in office, Biden will sign multiple executive orders, the top priority being the implementation of a national mask mandate to help control the pandemic.
The $1.9 trillion stimulus package announced by Biden last week includes $130 billion to help K-12 schools reopen and $35 billion in relief funds to help higher education institutions.
Biden said, "COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to America's K-12 schools and higher education institutions, as well as the students and parents they serve."
The $35 billion for higher education institutions will primarily be used to expand the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, helping colleges and universities cover the costs of implementing public health protocols and distance learning plans, as well as providing emergency grants to students with the lowest income.
The U.S. is also currently rolling out mass vaccinations. According to Reuters, U.S. pandemic expert Fauci predicts that the U.S. will achieve sufficient herd immunity through vaccination and can largely return to normal by fall 2021, helping schools return to their original state.
Reversing Unfriendly Visa Policies from the Trump Era
The unwise policies and unhelpful information from the Trump administration over the past four years have, to varying degrees, affected international students' intentions to study in the U.S.
To reverse this trend and help American universities regain momentum, the Biden administration is expected to take further active measures on visa policies related to student visas, OPT/H-1B, green card immigration, etc. This will effectively improve the awkward situation of current international students, helping them study in the U.S. and truly achieve innovation and employment after graduation.
1. Reforming the Temporary Visa System
Biden has previously expressed support for expanding the number of high-skilled visas and removing per-country caps on work visas.
Although he has not made extensive comments on international education and high-skilled immigration, industry experts generally believe that policies similar to those of the Obama era will return, bringing a more relaxed and friendly environment for international students.
2. Issuing Green Cards to STEM Ph.D. Graduates
At the same time, in his campaign platform, Biden also proposed providing green cards to Ph.D. graduates in STEM fields who study in the United States.
If STEM Ph.D.s can directly obtain green cards, it would mean that the advanced degree quota for the H-1B lottery would primarily be used by master's degree holders.
3. Cracking Down on Visa Abuse
Regarding the abuse of H-1B and green cards, Biden's team also clearly stated in their campaign platform that they would protect the interests of legal visa holders.
It is believed that under Biden's administration, the pandemic issue that worries students and parents the most will first be effectively and promptly controlled and resolved.
Whether Biden's vision and promises will be realized one by one in the future remains to be seen, but it is certain that the environment for international students to study and work in the U.S. will become more friendly and relaxed.
Under the new U.S. President Biden's term, what specific beneficial measures he will introduce for international students, we will wait and see!
Main news sources:
Forbes, US News, BBC, abc, insidehighered, joebiden.com, etc.
