Throughout the course, I was given the chance to explore several aspects of the American lifestyle from an Immigrant prospective and learned much more about what it takes to be a productive piece of the society. I however always had an issue with the immigration process established in the US, especially students’ “F1” status visas. What the US fails to realize is that, for a foreigner living on less than $2 a day, any opportunity to move out of the misery he or she is, is a good enough to jump on. What the “F1” visa stipulates is that, prior to being allowed to come to the US, you have to prove that you are rich, meaning you need to prove that you are a local millionaire (keep in mind that $ US100 = 46100.00 Francs in west Africa). Once you prove that you are almost as rich as Bill Gates, you need to agree to pay for your own school tuitions which by the way are 4 to 5 times higher than what legal residents and citizens pay. In addition to that, you are not allowed to work while going to school unless you jump through several other lengthy and costly hoops. Upon completion of your degree, you are required to return to your country of origin as you are no longer welcomed. I look at the F1 status as this scenario in which you agree to bring a homeless man into your home and provide him shelter as long as he cleans around the house for you. After several years of him getting used to a decent life, you abruptly ask him to return to the street and dirt in which you found him. This is the immigrant’s view of the F1 status. The F1 status immigration visa is a flawed one and seems as if the primary goal of those who shaped it was to bring more foreign currency into the US treasury, without so much caring about the individuals breaking their back to survive without income in the US.
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