Chaitnaya, 51, who sent his son to the US by mortgaging his house, was always worried whether his son could find a job after his degree. For, foreign students do not get much time to find employment as their visa doesn’t allow them to stay long.

But he got a call on Monday to tell him that he could now breathe easy, if the Executive Action on Reforms announced by US President Barack Obama comes into force.

Extension

While proposing reforms to the immigration laws, the US President felt that foreign students must be allowed to stay longer in order to utilise their knowledge.

The Optional Training Programme for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students is likely to be extended to 36 months from 24 months.

These reforms will not only help students from India but also spouses who quit lucrative jobs here to join their spouses in the US.

Upasana Kone, who had quit her job in communications in India and joined her husband in Seattle, hopes to take up work early next year, if the new permit norms come into force.

Xavier Augustin, Chief Executive Officer of career consulting firm Y-Axis.com , feels that more Indians will now choose to enter on a student visa route instead of the unpredictable H1B visa.

“The students will also be able to choose the right career instead of being pressured into choosing anything that comes their way to protect their status in the US. They will end up with good sponsors instead the ones who move faster to process their H1Bs,” he said. Hyderabad and Mumbai are figured in the Washington-based Brooking Institution’s list of the top-10 global cities that send maximum students to the US.

The exemption for 20,000 Masters level students from the regular H1B quota will allow more beneficiaries to get the visa. There has always been a special quota of 20,000 for Masters’ students, excluding the annual regular quota of 65,000.

A combination of a liberal student visa, extended OPT for STEM students, the exempt quota of 20,000 and a friendlier Green Card stage will make the USA return as the top destination for Indian students, Augustin felt.

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