World
U.S. President Trump has dropped another bombshell on Indian students. The prestigious Harvard University has been stripped of its authority to admit foreign students.
Typically, visa applicants present a certification issued by the university. The U.S. government has now revoked Harvard's ability to issue such certifications.
Soon after Trump took office, his administration halted the disbursement of $2.7 billion in federal funding to Harvard. Now, they have gone a step further by preventing the university from admitting foreign students.
Last academic year, Harvard had 6,800 international students, of which 788 were Indian. Nearly 800 Indian students have secured admission for the current year, but they are now ineligible to enter the U.S. unless they transfer to a different university or cancel their admission, as they can no longer study at Harvard.
Additionally, the U.S. has demanded a list of any international students who engaged in unlawful or violent activities at Harvard in the past five years. The administration has also imposed five more conditions, to which Harvard must respond within 72 hours.
Trump has long criticized Harvard, accusing it of aligning with China and supporting anti-Israel protests in Gaza. He claims the university has become a hub for anti-American and pro-terrorist activities.
Remittance Tax Softened
In a move affecting Indian immigrants, Trump has slightly rolled back his stance on remittance taxes. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, lowers the proposed remittance tax from 5% to 3.5%. This will take effect from January 1 next year. From then on, foreign nationals living in the U.S. will have to pay a 3.5% tax on money sent back to their home countries.
As of 2023, there are over 2.9 million Indians residing in the U.S., most of whom regularly send money to India. Starting next year, they will be required to pay tax on those remittances. American citizens, however, will be exempt from this tax.
Canada Also Imposes Restrictions on Indian Students
Meanwhile, Canada is also taking a stricter stance on Indian students. The number of study permits issued to Indian students has been slashed by about 31%. Only 30,640 permits were granted in the first quarter of this year, reflecting a 31% drop compared to previous figures. Canada’s Immigration Department has announced that this restrictive policy will continue.
For the past two years, Canada has been significantly reducing the number of international students it admits. Due to the surge in immigration, the Canadian government believes stricter regulation on student permits is necessary.
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