Karim F.’s Story

“With recent immigration issues in US, is it still feasible for us to apply there?”

A college student from Southeast Asia faces a critical career decision that will shape his entire professional trajectory. Currently developing his software development skills with dreams of landing an internship or job in Silicon Valley, he's deeply concerned about recent U.S. immigration policy changes that could derail his American tech career aspirations.

The stakes of this decision weigh heavily on his mind as he considers taking a year off from college to work at a local Rails development company. He believes practical work experience would demonstrate his abilities better than his non-Computer Science degree, but this plan only makes sense if U.S. opportunities remain viable.

The alternative reality he faces in his home country is stark - software developer salaries are approximately 10 times lower than Silicon Valley compensation. If American doors are closing, he's contemplating not fully committing to a developer career path and instead treating programming as merely a supplementary skill. This young developer's dilemma reflects the broader challenges international students face in an increasingly restrictive global immigration landscape.