Future beyond education: Green card move rattles US-bound students in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The US administrationâs move to suspend eight major technology companies from the employment-based green card process is the latest setback for youngsters preparing to follow their US aspirations, experts say.

The US department of labour Thursday said it would neither accept new Permanent Labor Certification applications involving these firms nor process pending ones from Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant,

Infosys

, TCS,

Wipro

, HCL Technologies and Capgemini. The order might create more uncertainty for H-1B workers nearing the standard limit of six years.

âThe announcement may not have immediate impact on Indian students. However, the constant policy announcements and uncertainty over the past year have prompted many Indian families to look at alternatives in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and other destinations,â said Abhishek Malani, founder, Quest For Success, a Bengaluru-based education consultancy.

More than students, their families are becoming more selective about which American universities would justify the financial investment.

âWe must remember that students entering university today will graduate 4-5 years from now. Immigration policies could look different by then. I wouldnât advise families to make such an important long-term decision based entirely on todayâs political climate,â he added.

Karan Lalit, executive director â South Asia, TOEFL & GRE, ETS, said that while the US continues to be an important destination for higher education, research and innovation, students are evaluating international education options amid evolving US immigration policies; factors such as academic quality, affordability, post-study opportunities and visa pathways are shaping their decisions.

âGermany, for instance, now hosts 60,000 Indian students, marking a 20% year-on-year increase. France, the Netherlands and Ireland, too, are gaining attention alongside established destinations such as the US, UK and Canada, reflecting studentsâ expanding horizons.â

Aritra Ghosal, founder and CEO, OneStep Global, said the recent US developments are a reminder that students need to plan for their careers beyond the decision of where to study. âWhile the suspension of PERM processing for applications involving specific technology companies does not directly restrict student visas, it raises questions about the longer-term employment and immigration pathways students consider when choosing the US,â he said.

âOne of the biggest risks is building a career plan around a single expected outcome: graduating, finding a job and eventually settling overseas. These pathways depend on factors beyond a studentâs control, including employer requirements and immigration policies. Students must therefore consider how transferable their skills are, whether their qualifications hold value across markets, and what alternatives remain open if their plans change. An international education should expand their career options, not leave their future dependent on one country or immigration pathway,â he said.

Ritika Singh, executive director, IC3, said there is also an âinward mobility.â âThere are liberal arts private universities that are ranked well. There are foreign universities coming in as well as Indian universities that are starting campuses abroad,â she said.

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