Question asked at college job fair: Are you a U.S. citizen?

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

For decades, Indian students with degrees in highly sought-after technical fields have followed a glide path to a life in the United States: win acceptance to a good American university, secure a student visa and, after graduating, find work at an American company. When Sai Sushma Pasupuleti arrived at the University of Houston in 2023 to pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering, that path was wide open.

Now, it is all but blocked. A couple of months ago, Pasupuleti attended a job fair at the university. She approached booth after booth, résumé in hand. But each representative asked one question: Are you a U.S. citizen? When she said she was not, they sent her away.

“I did a lot of hard work,” she said, crestfallen. “It’s crazy how they didn’t even look at my résumé.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/opinion/indian-americans-trump.htm

[stumpysbear]

1. Lots of reasons for this.

Tech and aerospace tend to have strict export controls nowadays.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. Im sure not every employer asked this question before Trump's crackdown

[fujiyamasan]

5. They would have to at some point in the hiring process

We’re not talking about day laborers here making a few bucks an hour under the table.

The sort of job this woman is applying for typically pays in the lower six figures. It’s not clear, but I’m assuming this woman also requires sponsorship to work here. Aside from a few companies like nvidia that can easily shell out $100k (they sent an email to employees stating they would), most obviously won’t.

Even a PhD in a STEM field isn’t imo enough of a reason by itself to justify a sponsorship when unemployment is rising.

[fujiyamasan]

2. Times are tough, I'm not sure what she's expecting

She’s not entitled to a job here when millions of Americans are out of work.

[TommyT139]

6. At a JOB FAIR, maybe she was expecting

...that she could at least show them her resume.

Beware the sash of the Overton window -- it can really sneak up on you.

[fujiyamasan]

8. The labor market is undergoing a massive disruption

I don’t think it’s in anyone’s favor to give false hope. It’s better for an employer to be honest upfront in making it clear they’re not sponsoring.

In a different labor market I would be more sympathetic to her, but right now I don’t think more competition is needed, especially if it means temporary workers possibly undercutting wages.

[Prairie Gates]

4. Nobody's paying $100,000 visa fee for entry level, even with a PhD

Thank Trump.

[TommyT139]

7. Archived link:

The whole thing is worth reading - the excerpted portion above is a small part of a larger picture.

And for those who implied that the woman at the job fair had unreasonable expectations, she had been given thousands of dollars for a full ride at an electrical engineering doctorate. (More likely hundreds of thousands.) That money partly comes from taxes...so the benefit of her training goes back to India.

https://archive.ph/454nr

[Torchlight]

9. Her education alone would make her an asset to almost any company

I conistently forget 'merit' is now considered Woke by decree of the Ministry of Fox Infotainment and the barking sealions.

[EdmondDantes_]

10. Not sure what jobs she was looking at, but a lot of jobs require it

Any job that might see classified information for example. Even if it's a company that only contracts with the government or is working on things like Internet or telephone systems.

[Patton French]

11. Sue them for discrimination.

Seems a slam dunk.