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by daveed 1041 days ago
> I don't think the US is better off with foreign nationals that seek education in the US but have no desire to get permanent residency

I don't think this comment draws the distinction between people who came here without long-term plans, and people who came here and left because they felt they would not be welcome long-term.

1 comments

I have no problem with people that do not feel welcome and leave. I have a problem with those whose plan was to get US education and go back home. I believe much of the people that are going back for whatever reason never planned to stay. The article as well makes no attempt to prove that isn't the case. That's why I said it reads like propaganda, that and the "perceived espionage" phrase usage.
> I have a problem with those whose plan was to get US education and go back home.

Why? If I (an American) studied in the UK, did I somehow betray the British by returning to the U.S. after? I paid tuition, I contributed to the economy while there, I helped bridge cultural gaps.

I specifically pointed out public unis and NSF grants because they are tax payer funded investments. College isn't free in the US, foreigners would attend their own colleges but whatever benefit a US college created, if it is taxpayer funded should prioritize those who will stay to benefit the public.

Your example is also peculiar because of the relationship between the US and UK, any advantages you gained in the UK might help the US instead of the UK but it will not harm the UK's security or industry because of friendly relations, legal cooperations and extradition treaties. China and countries not friendly to the US training people in the US who will go back and develop industry and technological advantage all on US taxpayer's dime isn't the same thing. Even when you pay tuition, a public uni or a gov sponsored grant is subsidizing much of the cost you would otherwise been expected to pay.

> I believe much of the people that are going back for whatever reason never planned to stay

But why do you believe that? You're asking for the article to prove that isn't the case, and I'm asking in all earnestness, what is the argument that it would be the case?

Because I know first hand plenty of immigrants that come to the US simply to get an education and go back. Nothing wrog with that, and it seems unreasonable to say all Chinese people who come to the US to attend school intended to stay in the US long term.

I mean, student visas don't even allow most of them to stay if they wanted to, you can look up student visa stats for China to find proof for my point.