The policy would accomplish the goal of the administration’s earlier proposal to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas for foreign professionals, a move that sparked opposition from the tech industry and resulted in legal challenges, Hackman notes. 

If implemented, the plan would create additional barriers for international students who have traditionally had a pathway into the U.S. workforce. The most recent change related to international students is a final rule establishing a fixed four-year period of admission for international students. Learn more about it in this Forum explainer. 

The policy shift is affecting international students' enrollment in universities across the U.S. and discouraging even those who are already enrolled, as reported by Dilan Gohill of El País English. 

"There’s immense pressure to know what you want and plan it far in advance, when non-international students aren’t expected to do the same. It feels quite unfair," said an international student at Stanford. 

Many universities across the country are already struggling, since they rely on international student tuition revenue to help balance their budget. The California State University system is evaluating the impact of the new rule, reports Lorraine Gabbert of San José Spotlight. 

William Sundstrom, an economics professor at Santa Clara University, said that beyond the impact on higher education institutions and the students, there will be a larger economic impact. He noted that a large percentage of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and nearly 70% of tech workers are foreign-born, many of whom came to the U.S. as students. 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to [email protected]. 

Thanks for reading, 

Clara