Shagufta Sami: The INS needs to let international students work

This year, my semester didn’t start with excitement, adventure or learning like last semester. I started with a whole bunch of nagging problems and a long list of rambling thoughts in my head. But I will spare you with that. We have the entire year to talk about it.

I am an international graduate student from India. I’ve been writing for the Independent Collegian for months now and emotionally, writing columns has become a freedom to express some of my thoughts. As a writer, it comes pretty easy for me to write than to express myself verbally. I know there are a lot of people who read and relate to what I write, because I usually prefer to write about international students, their struggles and life as a student at UT. It’s a complete unknown world to some people.

Being an international student, it’s pretty inevitable for us to face some of the most exhausting problems as a student in a foreign country. These problems concern family, educational and financial problems. And in all these problems I figured I found a common reasoning.

I was basically not allowed to help myself.

Most of us have a hard time dealing with situations from communicating to funds. One of the most common issues during studies is the fee and the funding. Students who come to the United States to study often have a difficult time paying the tuition.

Let’s face the fact. Tuition for an international student is about 10 times what it is for local students. And parents whose children are studying here find it difficult to pay the expenses.

Because U.S. Immigration laws bides us to certain law and regulations, I have more restrictions to my working potential than U.S. natives.

Now, a limit to the work permit sounds logical. We know that the law permits us to work no more than 20 hours and they do have a pretty legitimate reason to it. The International and Naturalization Service (INS) refuses international students a work permit, reasoning that students should be concentrating on their studies while in the U.S. If allowed to work, students might follow the attraction of money and give up their education.

In addition, working international students could have a negative effect on U.S. employment. Also, because the United States is strong economically, with many opportunities, people from other countries could abuse the study-abroad program to enter the country, even though they are not students.

Fair enough.

But short-listing already minimum work opportunities or not permitting us to work off-campus with the same hours during at least summer just doesn’t make sense.

All I did this summer was not work and not study. All I needed was to work when I had time. It would have helped lessen the cost of college on my parents and myself, so I can continue to go to school.

Some students want to work to help their sponsors or supporters while studying in this country. If sponsors have financial problems, the students may have trouble continuing their education. They also want to work to gain experience. But U.S. Immigration is very strict in issuing work permits. It prevents us from working off-campus.

The INS has its reasons for not issuing work permits, but I believe they should be made available to international students who are doing well in school and who need to help their families support them.

I believe there is a way for the INS to be more easy-going with work permits and still avoid abuses to the economy. It could reduce the duration of the permit and require students to have good grades. To further prevent abuse, the INS could check on working students more often, to make sure they were studying well.

When students work, they still have to pay taxes, insurance and their expenses. They cannot harm the U.S. economy; they may even contribute to its health. Giving international students the right to work could, with the right controls, prove beneficial for all.

Studying and working can make a student a better student now and a better employee later. Students come to the U.S. because they want to gain knowledge and real living experiences to better their lives. Without these experiences, they will not realize their goals from study abroad.

However, this is not the only but the most common problem faced by international students. But the idea of not being able to help oneself is more than frustrating. I hope this new academic year will bring us more opportunities and less frustration.

I also hope we experience the most memorable phase of our lives.

Remember, with any given problem, it’s not important to gain or lose something. What’s more important is how we grow and live in spite of the problems we face, in spite of the laws which are to be followed, in spite of the frustration and pressure.

Don’t be afraid if you have to make difficult decisions or if you don’t get what you always wanted. Make sure, at the end of the day, you have a sacred place within yourself you love. You can’t help situations but you can help yourself by being optimistic. Just recall all the past times you have stood strong, and be open to difficult challenges. No challenge puts you down. It just moves you forward with something to learn.

Shagufta Sami is a second-year computer science graduate student.