[ATTW-L] the ICE memo on international students

Wed Jul 8 15:30:15 UTC 2020

The ICE memo likely is in keeping with the administration's policy of protecting American jobs.

The top two contributing countries for international students are India (from India the number currently, if I am right, may be close to 200,000) and China (possibly higher than India's) and it is the understanding that many of them post graduation move on to OPT and then H-1B. 

The H-1 B is meant to bring in overseas workers for filling in jobs that cannot be filled by US nationals, but American workers have argued that that is not the case. 

In addition, the Obama administration also allowed the H-4 (spousal visa) to be used as a work visa (possibly in 2015) and currently there may be around 127,000 or so who have entered the US job market as a result.

The above is in addition to jobs outsourced. (If I am right, a few years ago IBM's biggest workforce of possibly 120,000 or so may have been India.)

Because of Covid-19 and high unemployment levels, I think, the administration has put a stop on processing all work visas (H-1B and and other types as well I think, including the H-4).

Joseph     On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 02:54:08 PM EDT, Dragga, Sam <sam.dragga at ttu.edu> wrote:  

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If you are looking for a striking example of technical writing with a direct impact on your classrooms, consider the memo released yesterday by the US Department of Homeland Security (https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/bcm2007-01.pdf).

The memo explains to college administrators that their international (nonimmigrant) students musttake either onsite courses or a mix of onsite and online courses in the Fall 2020 semester to remain in the United States.

In addition to raising awareness of the extraordinary conditions for international students, the memo offers the opportunity to discuss clarity in writing (e.g., note the 33-word opening sentence in the 116-word opening paragraph but also the headings and numbered or bulleted lists).  

And given the experience of the Spring 2020 semester and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the memo raises ethical questions about putting the following key piece of information in a 63-word sentence in the middle of a 151-word paragraph on page 2 of a 3-page memo [italics mine]:  

If a school changes its operational stance mid-semester, and as a result a nonimmigrant student switches to only online classes, or a nonimmigrant student changes their course selections, and as a result, ends up taking an entirely online course load, schools are reminded that nonimmigrant students within the United States are not permitted to take a full course of study through online classes.

Sam

Sam Dragga

Professor Emeritus, Texas Tech University

Editor,Technical Communication 

sam.dragga at ttu.edu

1-806-543-6099

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