There’s been a growing conversation about whether international students should be granted green cards upon graduation. As an international student, I’ve been paying close attention to this issue. What I found was eye-opening: international students are making a much bigger impact on the United States than many people realize.
Let’s start with the economy. According to the Institute of International Education’s 2024 Open Doors report, international students added nearly $50 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year. That’s not just pocket change – it helped support around 378,000 American jobs. While big states like California, New York, and Texas received the largest boost, smaller communities and colleges, including Madison College, benefited too. We pay tuition, rent apartments, buy groceries and contribute to the local economy.
But there’s more to our presence here than just dollars and cents. International students are a driving force behind innovation and academic progress in this country. At many top-tier universities, a significant portion of graduate students come from abroad – 42% at MIT, 47% at Cal-Tech and around one-third at Princeton, Yale and Stanford. These students help power cutting-edge research and groundbreaking discoveries. Just look at Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, or Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, both of whom began as international students and went on to shape the future of tech.
It’s not just high-profile entrepreneurs who are making a difference. Students from countries like Turkey, India, China and many others are contributing to fields ranging from biotechnology to artificial intelligence. Their work often goes unnoticed, but its impact is felt across industries and communities in the U.S. and beyond.
In June 2024, President Trump expressed support for a new policy: granting green cards to international students upon graduation. While the proposal has yet to become law, it represents a major shift from his earlier immigration stances, including the 2017 travel ban, which led to a 6% decline in international student enrollment. If enacted, this green card pathway could help reverse those effects and attract more global talent to the U.S.
Last year alone, more than 1.1 million international students were enrolled in American institutions, the highest number ever recorded. India and China led the way, but countries like Turkey, with about 10,000 students in the U.S., continue to play a growing role. Schools like USC, NYU and Northeastern host tens of thousands of international students, enhancing both academic excellence and cultural diversity on their campuses.
So, when we talk about green cards and immigration policy, let’s not forget the bigger picture. International students don’t just come here to study. We come to grow, contribute, and give back. We’re part of classrooms, labs, businesses and communities and we want to keep building lives here after graduation.
Making it easier for international students to stay isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s a smart move for the future of the country.