Full Text | Jobs, the US and Why Students Still Wish to Study There

In a recent episode of The Wire Talks, Sidharth Bhatia spoke with education consultant Viral Doshi about the challenges and uncertainties faced by Indian students aspiring to study in the United States amid changing visa policies and geopolitical shifts. They discussed the importance of staying optimistic, the evolving landscape of higher education opportunities, and the enduring appeal of the US as a destination for academic excellence despite the hurdles.

The following is the full text of the talk, transcribed by Samarth Kochhar.

Sidharth Bhatia: Hello and welcome to The Wire Talks. I am Sidharth Bhatia. There are over 3.3 lakh Indian students in the US, and thousands would have gone this year too, but things have now changed. Thanks to a series of announcements and actions of the Trump administration, foreign students are feeling nervous and unsure whether they should go to the US. Those who are already studying in the US are equally worried about their future. The latest example is the decision of the administration to ban international students from joining Harvard University. That has now been blocked by a judge. More importantly, getting a visa is going to be more difficult, and news reports that anyone entering the US will have to show their social media activity has further added to the uncertainty.

My guest today, Viral Doshi, is someone who understands and knows about these matters. An engineer by profession, he started Viral Doshi Associates 20 years ago to provide students in the age group of 14 to 25 guidance, including mentoring and college planning. He has helped hundreds of students from different parts of the world successfully join American and other universities in different countries. Viral Doshi, welcome to The Wire Talks.

Viral Doshi: Thank you, Sidharth. My pleasure. What a pleasure to be here again.

Sidharth Bhatia: I’m sure of late you’ve been flooded with phone calls from anxious parents and US-bound students who want some clarity on what’s going on and what they should do. What are they mainly asking? And what are you telling them?

Viral Doshi: I mean, you’re so right. In the last two weeks, the number of phone calls from parents and students has just gone exponential. I think parents have become very apprehensive. The students have become very concerned because things have changed very rapidly in the last two, three weeks. The number of students currently in America is 330,000. So just talking about that, I think the question is, are students still choosing the US as a place of study? Absolutely. Today, if you look at, let’s say, 100 kids going out of India, 70% are still going to the USA. And if you ask yourself, we talk about other destinations, what is the other choice that can match up with the US? 

Viral Doshi: We talk about alternatives, but which countries can match up with a number of colleges in the USA, the flexible American curriculum, the research opportunities, and the world-class faculty? Yes, there are countries of which the UK and Canada are prominent in the West, and Singapore and Hong Kong in the East. But remember, for every one college in these countries, there are close to 40 to 50 colleges in the USA. Look at the depth and breadth; which countries can match it? So as much as we may say that the US is becoming a lesser go-to destination, I don’t think so at all. It still remains the most desired destination to go to. But yes, there are apprehensions, there are concerns, and we have to address these concerns.

Viral Doshi: Let me tell you one more thing before I go into concerns. International students are the backbone of US universities, and they add to the diversity, the resources for research, and the revenue, which universities will not survive. Let me give you a case in point: at UC Berkeley, around 3,000 students join every year as undergraduate students. That’s approximately 10% of the undergraduate body, and nearly 4,000 international students are admitted. That’s nearly 31% of the graduate body. Let’s say 50% of the international students are paying full, let’s say 2,000 students. You add that to the 3,000 international undergraduate students; on average, they pay $70,000 per annum. This amounts to $350 million. Now, can you imagine? Will a university survive this gap in resources? They won’t. So I think this whole phenomenon of the visa situation, believe me, is temporary. It’s not only impacting India; it’s impacting students from all across the world. Today, every country is asking what’s going to happen. But the government has made it very clear it’s a temporary halt.

Viral Doshi: And by the way, if you ask me for this year’s batch, more than 50% have already got the visas. The balance 50%, I’m telling them, you file your papers for the visa. It’s a question of time, maybe two, three, four weeks. But I’m very confident that this will be taken care of because otherwise universities will suffer, and they can’t allow the universities to suffer. So it’s a question of time. The question is, we don’t know whether the visa interviews will come in a week’s time, two weeks’ time, or three weeks’ time. But I’m very confident that they will fulfil their objective of having students get on to their courses in August, September. It’s a matter of being patient. So I’ve been telling every parent, just be patient. Give it two, three weeks’ time, you definitely see interview calls coming through. As of right now, the government is finalising the vetting process for political activism. Once they put that in order, it’s a question of time when they start getting interviews done for the students. So yes, it is concerning. People are apprehensive. But believe me, just be patient. For this year, at least, things will be sorted out in the next couple of weeks to come.

Sidharth Bhatia: Now, Viral, this is something you tell the people who call you. But you must admit that the apprehensions going by what appears in the media are quite serious. Not everyone may get access to, let’s say, your replies or responses. So do you think that the number of students going from here is going to ultimately decrease?

Viral Doshi: Okay, let me answer the question a little differently. As I said earlier, nearly out of 100 students to go abroad, 70% would go to the USA, 20-25% would go to Canada and the UK, and the balance 5-10% will be spread over Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and now in Europe. At the end of the day, anybody going overseas would much rather prefer going to an English-speaking country. So that’s why the desire to go to the USA, Canada, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia has been very strong. Now, lately, countries like Europe, like the Netherlands, are becoming quite popular, followed by Spain, France, and Germany. But at the end of the day, whatever you may say, if a student wants to apply to the USA, he will look at all these countries more as backups. It will not be the first choice school. So we as Indians are always very optimistic that things will improve—and they will improve. So I would tell students that yes, other countries are there for you.

Viral Doshi: Will the number of students going down in the USA? I don’t think so. I think there’s been an immediate reaction. If you ask me, there’s been a lot of media hype about what’s happening in the USA. People are talking about protests on their campuses, issues, and some federal funding being cut off. But that’s few and far between. The protests were never there. They were there last year when the Hamas thing was going on. But the protests have not stopped—no protests at all. All the campuses are as normal as they were in the previous years to be. Yes, the federal funding has been cut off. So I’ve been telling students, if you’re going to America for a PhD programme, yes, you will find funding a bit of a challenge. But if you’re going for undergraduate studies or a master’s programme and you’re paying full, there is no issue in America at all.

Viral Doshi: So what could be a drop-off could be somewhere in the PhD programmes where people may go less to America. But then the alternative—what is the alternative? When people tell me, “Oh, we can’t go to the USA,” it’s not that any other countries are going to give them funding for a PhD very easily. So at the end of the day, typically, what a lot of students are telling me is, “Look here, if I don’t get the visa right now, during the summer months, I will take a gap year or a gap semester.” Because sooner or later, they will start issuing the visas, you know. They can’t stop 149 countries’ children not coming to the USA. So I think at the end of the day, numbers this year—I don’t think it’s going to drop in any significant way. The numbers I’m seeing for September 2025—I don’t foresee any drop at all. For 2026, people will start looking at alternatives. They don’t want to just bank on America. They will apply to other countries like Canada, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong. They will apply there as a backup. But given a choice, if they get the visa, and they are able to go to America, they will prefer to go to America.

Viral Doshi: But remember, America is a changing America. This is no longer the America which was two years or five years ago. This is an America where internships are going to be extremely difficult. Jobs are going to be extremely challenging. So I’m telling students a big change—you have to be mentally prepared. You go there for the education; you go there for the research. But be mentally prepared—you may have to come back to India to do your internships and your job. Why, why not? India is the most happy place today. You can come back here and do your internship and jobs. Why not?

Sidharth Bhatia: But Viral, coming to jobs and internships, one of the attractions of the US was the OPT, which allows you one year or, if you’re a science student, three years of working on a different visa immediately after your graduation degree. And that, if it is truncated or disappears, one major attraction just disappears, doesn’t it? Because look at it this way—I have spent, let’s say, $300,000 over a four-year period. And then I come back and try to recover that, make up that money in rupees. It’s not going to be the same.

Viral Doshi: I couldn’t agree with you more. I couldn’t agree with you more that yes, this is the biggest challenge today. And that is why, if you’re going to spend $400,000 for undergraduate education or $200,000 for a master’s degree, you’re not going to get the return on investment in the new America right now.

That is why—but the question is, what is the alternative? When we say we can’t go to America, what will people do? They will perhaps spend the money, and they will not be able to recover it. They’ll have to come back here and recover as much as they can.

So it is a bit of a challenge. OPT is in Congress right now. It may go through some changes.

H1B is also uncertain right now—what is going to happen? A lot of things are in flux right now. But when we say that you’re not going to go to America, tell me, when I ask somebody, what is the alternative, they can’t give me an alternative.

We go abroad, in the UK also jobs are difficult. In Canada also jobs are difficult. So also in Europe or Singapore.

So what is the alternative? The alternative will be that you are going to the USA as an investment. You’re spending that money, getting a great education, great research opportunities, but you may not be able to recover that.

Sometimes you make investments in something, and you may not be able to recover the investment. You’ve just invested for a future, for a great education and a great research opportunity. So I think this is something we have to change our mindset to.

This is no longer the America of what it was five, ten years ago. And you’re looking at going to America purely as an investment, but not to recover that money. And that’s going to change.

I’m telling you, this has changed. And this is a very major issue. But then when I tell people, yes, we’ll not go to America, what is the alternative?

Nobody can give me an alternative.

Sidharth Bhatia: Let me play devil’s advocate. If I can’t or won’t go to America because things have changed and I may not be able to stay a day longer, I would have made the investment of $400,000. And I may end up going elsewhere and I may make an investment of, let’s say, $200,000 and still can’t stay there. But I come back to India. My outgo is much less. So that’s one attraction.

Viral Doshi: True, well put. But think of it—where do you get that interdisciplinary programme which America offers? Where do you get the breadth and depth of courses that America offers? Where do you get the research that America offers? Where do you get the international diversity that America offers? Where do you get a world-class faculty? Yes, there are colleges in every country, but there’ll be like eight or ten good colleges. America has 800 or 1,000 good colleges.

Viral Doshi: So the choice is much more. So I think the challenge is, if you’re going to go to other countries, yes, you will, but you’ll not get the same experience as America. So the cost is lower, but the experience also is going to be not as strong as America. Remember that. Today, what is the reason why 70% of students were going to America? Yes, some of them were staying on, but a lot of them are coming back also. Today, I must tell you, in the last five years, the number of undergraduate students who have come back to India after their graduation—not because they couldn’t get a job, but because they want to come back to India—has also increased exponentially. I would say more than 50% of my students, after spending a year in America after graduating, immediately after graduation are coming back today. That’s very encouraging.

Viral Doshi: So yes, they’re not looking at recovering the money; they’re looking more for the overall experience out there. But I agree with you—you can go to Canada and spend two-thirds of America, you can go to England and spend half of America. But you have to ask yourself, are you going to get the same experience? That’s a challenge, isn’t it? If you’re looking at something in the STEM area, look at where America is; look at where other countries are. There’s a very big gap between what you’re going to get in other countries as opposed to America.

Viral Doshi: So I think I don’t foresee a drop in American applications at all. I definitely believe that people will view it differently. People will go mentally prepared that jobs and internships are going to be challenging, which they were not, perhaps, in the earlier years. Now they’re going mentally prepared—they will have to come back, and we will not recover the money that we spent, but we’ll get a great education. You know. But at the end of the day, even if you want to stay back in India, where are the schools? If you look at the last 20 years, the number of high schools has increased by 300%. But the number of good colleges in India are few and far between—10, 20—how many can you name? That is a big challenge—the funneling effect. And that is why a lot of students today are going abroad because they can’t have opportunities in India.

Viral Doshi: But yes, they will have to then compromise and go to other countries if the USA is going to stop. See, the USA will not stop. What is going to happen is that jobs and internships are going to be difficult. So return on investment is something you have to review. For any parent today who’s going to send a child abroad, thinking that he’s going to get a job there or an internship is going to be in for a big surprise. So go there with a very clear understanding that it’s a changed America, you’ll be mentally prepared to come back, and you will not be able to recover the investment. It’s just a great experience of giving to your child for four years or for two years for a postgraduate degree.

Sidharth Bhatia: Are you in touch with American universities regarding, you know, ensuring that they still are very happy to...? I know you said that they make a lot of money, but are you in touch with American universities?

Viral Doshi: Yeah, absolutely. They are also equally concerned. Because, you know, they also believe that the halt in visas is temporary. And the State Department will come out with the rules and regulations of vetting political activism. But I must say they’re very proactive. They’ve even said that if there is any delay beyond August or September, they will allow the students to come online and do the courses online until the visa interview comes out, maybe let’s say in September or in case it’s delayed.

Viral Doshi: I don’t foresee it being delayed. They also don’t foresee it being delayed because there are so many universities which depend on the income of international students. So I think sooner or later, the State Department also understands that—they’re just getting the policy together. But on the positive part, colleges are very encouraging and saying that, look here, if there’s any delay beyond August, September, and the visa calls are coming for October, November, and the students can’t make it, we will do online classes so they don’t miss out on anything, and then come in as and when the visas come through.

Viral Doshi: That’s very unlikely because, remember, already 50% of students have already got visas for this year. So they’re not going to deprive the other 50% of visas either. So I think the big hype in the media about visas not being issued—it may take one year—I don’t think that’s true at all. Believe me, in the next couple of weeks, this will be sorted out, and people will start getting interviews.

Sidharth Bhatia: The other thing, maybe hype in the media again, is the fear that once a student lands in the US, he or she has to deal with tough immigration officers who might look at their phones and their laptops for their social media activity. Is that something that people have asked you about?

Viral Doshi: Yes, they are. And I must tell you, random checking is taking place. And we should be mentally prepared for that. And I give a very simple analogy. When you go to somebody’s house as a guest, the host may have had certain rules and regulations over the years, but he’s changed the rules and regulations. So we have to understand the new rules and regulations and adapt to it. What are they asking very clearly? “We don’t want to see political activism on your social media.” As long as you are clear on that, I think—I’ve had three or four students who have had their mobile phones checked. They’ve been asked to be stepped aside, their mobile phones checked, and they would put it through some server. Within two minutes, they find out whether they are on the right side or the wrong side.

Viral Doshi: On the right side, they are allowed to go right away. So I think the message is very clear to students to stay away from political activism on your social media pages. As long as you’re doing that, these are the new rules and regulations of America—you’re perfectly safe.

Viral Doshi: But if you feel that you’re going to America and you can impose your political activism out there, that’s when the problems arise, you know. But by and large, I must say, Indian students have never been involved in political activism. There are exceptions, but by and large, we’ve been quite a quiet country. Most of the students going from India know they’re spending so much money, and they focus more on their academics, extracurricular activities, and research. So honestly speaking, if I have to give advice to any student going, I would say, just check your social media pages. Be very, very careful. Delete all the social media messages that you have on political activism. Play safe. They don’t want to create a ruckus at the airport for no rhyme or reason.

Sidharth Bhatia: No, you said something about if you’re on the right side, but what about if you’re on the wrong side? Has something happened? Have you heard anything?

Viral Doshi: I have not heard of any, to be honest with you, because whoever is going is taking precautions also. I mean, everybody is wise now, you know. They’ve heard of these stories. So people are taking care to either switch their mobile phones or just delete all the social media pages which have political activism in them. I have not heard of anybody being deported or being harassed at the airport yet. So I just see if you play safe, then you should be safe. I don’t think you should have a problem at all.

Viral Doshi: But no, honestly speaking, it’s not a lot of these things about deportation. A lot of them are hearsay. And if I tell somebody, pin me down, name me two people who were deported—no, no, I heard it from somebody else. I heard it from my aunt, who heard it from her friend. It’s all hearsay. Then at the end of the day, if you really pin yourself down, how many people were deported? Also, we find few and far. Yes, there were some whimsical reasons like not paying a traffic duty fine or something like that. But there were one or two odd cases like that. But if you ask yourself, how many people do you know who have been deported? You’ll hardly find any. So it’s become a big media hype, sadly.

Sidharth Bhatia: But yeah, yeah, yeah, we understand the media will take those cases and blow them up. That’s, by the way, I must tell you, honestly, that’s the nature of the beast. But, you did mention, and one has read about, people being asked to leave because of other infractions, which are minor, like not paying a traffic fine or something like that. Isn’t that a fear that will—that will really—won’t that fear get into students?

Viral Doshi: Yes and no, both. I would say, why should you fear it? If you have a fine, you pay the fine. But you don’t pay fines, you don’t go to court.

Sidharth Bhatia: But you know that you know that you may always—you can’t have four years with such a perfect, unblemished record. Something could happen that you go, and they suddenly fear the midnight knock.

Viral Doshi: I mean, honestly, you know, whenever people tell me this, tell me three people who had a midnight knock—they can’t name me three people. No, no, we heard it from somebody else. We heard it from somebody else. It’s more hearsay. Honestly speaking, I don’t think that has happened, or it is happening. 

Sidharth Bhatia: No, the hearsay can drive fear.

Viral Doshi: It could. Okay, what is the alternative then? The alternative then would be to just be on your best behaviour out there. Because these are the changed rules out there. We have to abide by that. If that is the case, we want to go to America, then we have to—yes, it is a changed America. And there are rules and regulations which have changed. But I don’t foresee, honestly speaking, that happening between you and me. It’s become just a couple of people were deported, if at all. And it’s become a big thing about so many people being deported. You can’t even name me 10 people who were deported from America for political activism—Indians who were deported. So I’m sorry, this is something I disagree with people about—this deportation.

Viral Doshi: I think there may be one or two odd cases which are blown apart. We don’t even know the background behind them. And when there’s background also, when they give it to you, they don’t give the full story. There may be some other reason also. So we only know because of some traffic violation you were deported. I would not believe that. There must be something more than that also.

Sidharth Bhatia: Now, coming to the topic you said that really has been ringing a bell among many people—not necessarily the students who will go, because they will go prepared for these changed circumstances. But while people have been there in the last few years, especially the last two years, many students have in good faith, without knowing that the rules are changing—or they changed right in front of them, or whatever.

Sidharth Bhatia: And the administration also changed. They got involved in politics, political activism. That could be a demonstration. That could be a protest march. And that could be writing something—an article. In the case of some people, it was writing an article. So, are you—I mean, students will be students, you know—they will always be interested in politics. Are you saying to the people who talk to you, these four years of your life, or these two years of graduate school of your life, as far as politics is concerned, just forget it. Is that what you say?

Viral Doshi: I would say so. And let me tell you one more thing. By and large, the Indian undergraduate student population, or the postgraduate population, hardly one or two per cent will be involved in political activism. It’s a very rare case that this happens with Indians, to be honest with you, because we are a God-fearing nation in that respect. And, you know, we don’t get into all these things because you’re spending the hard-earned money of your parents to go and get yourself educated out there. So this is the last thing they would want to do.

Viral Doshi: But if there are rare cases out there, I would say, Baba, these times have changed now. We adhere to what the new rules and regulations are. They’re saying stay away from political activism—stay away, no? Because when you go to somebody’s house and change the rules and regulations, abide by it. Otherwise, don’t go to the USA. You can’t have your own rules and go to the USA. You have to abide by the rules there, which may be wrong, which may not be the best thing. You may not like it. But we sadly have to abide by it and be on the best behaviour for four years.

Sidharth Bhatia: Is this something that you are telling them proactively now?

Viral Doshi: Absolutely, absolutely. This was not the case maybe even three months or four months ago. In the last two months, the changes have taken place, and we have to unfortunately live with it and abide by it.

Sidharth Bhatia: And I mean, I know you mentioned something about cleaning your phones and all that, but also four years, just stay and get on with your studies rather than get mixed up in other things.

Viral Doshi: Stopping there for a minute—you tell me, in the last 10 years, how many Indian students you know were involved in political activism there? Few and far between.

Sidharth Bhatia: No, I don’t know the exact number.

Viral Doshi: I am not asking for numbers, I am just saying generally. First of all, American colleges are not hotbeds of political activism like Europe. You don’t see political activism on campus virtually at all. This was very unfortunate—what happened with the whole Hamas and Israel thing. It was very unfortunate that people took sides at the end of the day. But actually, if you ask me, if you remove this whole thing about what’s happening currently with the Hamas and Israel situation, do you really see political activism in American campuses?

Sidharth Bhatia: In fact, that answers its own question because it is only in the last two years that there have been circumstances which have arisen. So, let’s say in the last 10 years, there was no urgency or need, even a simple need to get involved in political activism because there was nothing so, you know, calling out for activism. But now that they have, there has not been—I don’t know exactly the numbers, but I’ve heard that there have been Indians also who have gone on protest marches, etc. 

Sidharth Bhatia: So, I’m saying the temptation, if you want to use that word, has risen only now. But there are Indian students as much as students from, let’s say, any other part of the world who are also people who know about what’s happening in the world. So, they may be tempted. So, as you rightly said a little while ago, this is something you’re telling them for the first time now, in the last two years. And how do the parents take it? And how do the students take it? They take it at face value?

Viral Doshi: I would say so.

Sidharth Bhatia: I think, and I give them an example. Look, if you have a foreign student coming into India to study, and he starts doing political activism, and says down with the administration, how are you going to take it? Are you going to be happy with that?

Viral Doshi: No. So, I think we have to abide by the rules and regulations of the country. Yes, I would never make this statement of going by the rules and regulations. America is always a country which has free speech and everything. But things have changed now. And we have to respect the changes because it’s a changed government. And if you want to go to America to study, I would tell them, look here, please change. You can’t be in your own mode, which was there two, three years ago. It is a changed America.

Viral Doshi: And if you respect that, you stay away from two words—political activism. America is a great place to be in. The education is outstanding. The research is outstanding. The faculty is outstanding. The diversity is outstanding.

Viral Doshi: Look at what it has to offer. Don’t look at this small 2%, 3% political activism. Leave that aside. This is a new America. You can’t be a part of that. Otherwise, you know, it’s going to be a problem for you.

Sidharth Bhatia: Tell me, you mentioned that universities have been talking to you and expressing confidence and saying that they will, they will kind of make—even they'll go out of their way to make adjustments for students anywhere. So that is one thing. Plus, you are saying that the US has so much to offer. So do you see the situation balancing itself, or do you see that more decisions of the administration could actually be a dampener in the next two years or so?

Viral Doshi: I think once they set the policy—see, if you look at it, even when the administration was there in the last term, they never really interfered with these issues at all. I think this has been triggered for them also because of what happened with the protests which came up during this whole issue with Hamas and Israel. So they had to take some decisive action on this. So I think once they keep the policy in place and people are aware this is a policy that they want to be implemented, we have to just abide by it. Once you know the policy is there, you will abide by it. So I don’t foresee any problems for students in the future when they are applying in the next two years.

Viral Doshi: The only challenge is for this year’s students—people are very apprehensive. Will I get my visa or not? Will I be able to go or not?

Viral Doshi: I would tell them just be patient. In the next couple of weeks, something positive will come out, and I’m sure they will ensure that visas will be assured to all the students who apply this year because even the colleges are putting a lot of pressure on the State Department and saying, look here, we require these students to survive. So I think we have to be a little bit positive out here and be optimistic. If you take that optimistic view and positive view, things will work out. Yes, I can’t deny it. If I was a parent, I would be very apprehensive. But what is your choice today? If you can't go there, what are you going to do? 

Viral Doshi: You can’t. The only countries still open to you are the UK and Singapore, maybe to some extent India. You will not find the same courses out there. So what students are telling me, Mr. Doshi, even if it means going after one term or going up in three months, we are prepared to wait. We don’t mind as long as we can go to America. So that optimism is there. And we as Indians are always optimistic, you know, things will improve. So I’m also the same Indian—I think things will improve. Just be positive, and things will take their course. And I think students who are applying this year, I would tell them, you will get your visa. Believe me. The question is when—I don’t know, but definitely before you start your courses.

Viral Doshi: And for students applying in the subsequent years, I would say you’re going to get the new policy. Just abide by the policy. You should have no problem with visas at all for America. And by the way, let me tell you, a lot of my students have had visa interviews in the last three weeks and got their visas. The consular office was so gentle and so nice to them.

Sidharth Bhatia: All the colleges put together must be quite a strong lobby because they, as you said, the foreign students are the backbone of their economy. And if one college you said earned $350 million, am I right?

Viral Doshi: Yeah. I’ll talk about UC Berkeley as an example. It’s a state university which has one of the largest. That is just one college—it got $350 million. That’s right. So if you look at smaller colleges, from a small private college like UPenn, they’ll have about $50 million, $60 million coming in from foreign students, going up to state universities earning $350-$400 million. And look at the number of state universities in America and look at the billions of dollars they earn from international students. And remember, this is not just peculiar to India only. Imagine if they stop giving visas permanently—even other countries will stop giving visas to American students.

Viral Doshi: Yeah, yeah. So I don’t—this is just a temporary halt, but we have made a big hype about this temporary halt. Yes, I don’t deny it is a matter of concern. Parents will remain apprehensive; students are concerned. But be a little patient—it will be sorted out. If they’ve given 50% visa interviews already and visas, they will get the balance 50%. It’s a question of time. The issue is, we don’t know how much time it’ll take.

Sidharth Bhatia: How do parents take it when you say be patient?

Viral Doshi: Well, it’s not easy, you know. It’s easy for me to say it as a consultant. But as a parent, you’re obviously concerned. But parents do understand that sooner or later, this will be sorted out. At the most, what will happen—they may miss one semester. But it’s not going to be a permanent halt on visas. So I think parents are also quite amenable that way. They do understand also this is not something that’s within anybody’s control, and nobody can tell them or speculate when it will start. But they are also quite positive that it will come through.

Viral Doshi: And if it means waiting for one or two months, or even one semester, they’re prepared to do so. Because there’s no other alternative. Remember also, we may—as much as we’ve discussed, I don’t want to go to America—what is the other choice you have? You may not get the same course in other colleges. We’re not getting the same experience. So people are willing to wait—that much I will tell you. This is very clear from what I understand. Every student, every parent, is willing to wait for one month, two months beyond the college starting, or even one semester. They go one semester late, but they want to go there once the visas start.

Sidharth Bhatia: Okay, so here I am, sitting in front of you, a very worried parent. I come to your office and, you know, in the middle of your very busy day, I say, Viral Bhai, I’m really, really, really concerned. Will I go away with, at least if not a smile, at least some comfort that things are going to get better?

Viral Doshi: I would say so, because I think parents tend to listen to other parents. Students tend to listen to other students. But, you know, honestly speaking, if you even talk to colleges abroad, they’ll give a very positive outlook. If you talk to admission offices, they are concerned also, but they are also saying, look here, this will be sorted out.

Viral Doshi: And we are quite confident that visas will be issued before the term begins. So if they are giving that sort of confidence, I feel I can give the same confidence to parents and keep them calm right now. Because even if you’re agitated, your parents say, what is the solution? The best solution is to remain calm and be patient and just wait for things to be resolved—and they will be resolved. And once they hear that, they also calm down. They may not calm down 100%, but they definitely calm down from where they were before they came.

Sidharth Bhatia: Okay. Well, that’s actually quite a reassuring one, because I thought that, again, by reading media hype, like any other person, I also had begun to get concerned about what’s happening to students—not just Indian students, but yes, Indian students also in the United States. But it looks like it’s now a patience game.

Viral Doshi: And let me tell you—okay, suppose we can’t go to the USA, what is the alternative right now? People don’t want to give me an alternative. I said, there is no other alternative. You just have to be patient and wait.

Sidharth Bhatia: I think, as you said, next year, they will keep plan B.

Viral Doshi: Correct, exactly.

Sidharth Bhatia: Because now it’s too late in the game.

Viral Doshi: It’s not too late. Still, the UK and Singapore are open to some extent. A lot of colleges in India are still open also, but they won’t find the same course they want to do so easily, to get admission to, and to the university that they want to get admission to. That’s when the challenge will arise. 

Viral Doshi: And that is why, by default, they will go to the USA sooner or later—most likely before the term begins, or at least one month or one semester after the term begins. But I am very confident they will go there before the term begins. And for next year, yes, I would definitely see plan B and plan C being there, whether they go there or not. They will still apply to the USA as a first choice, but keep Canada, the UK, Singapore all open at the end of the day, and even India.

Sidharth Bhatia: Yeah.

Viral Doshi: Yeah.

Sidharth Bhatia: Anyway, that’s great. I presume you also guide students on other countries, am I right?

Viral Doshi: Canada, UK, and India—more towards the West, not so much toward the East, but mainly to the USA, Canada, and UK. But I’m a big fan of India, to be honest with you. When people come to me, I try to convince them—why do you need to go abroad also? And then, of course, if you need to go abroad because they’re doing something like a STEM or engineering degree, getting admission to IITs is virtually next to impossible. And of course, then you go abroad. But today, for humanities, for business subjects, I’m really trying to convince students to stay back in India, as you do three years here, do a one-year master’s in the UK, and then do another postgraduate MBA from the USA. You’re the best of all three countries. And if it’s an Indian degree, your chance of getting a job when you come back to India is much stronger because Indian companies prefer students with Indian degrees over foreign degrees.

Sidharth Bhatia: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s actually counterintuitive the way things are going, isn’t it?

Viral Doshi: Yes, it makes sense. It makes sense. You’ve got all the three countries’ experiences also. That’s the cultural experience of three countries. Yeah, absolutely. That’s a winning combination.

Sidharth Bhatia: Yeah. Anyway, Viral, I think a lot of parents and students will have some anxiety allayed, some of their fears allayed by listening to this. I hope so. And maybe the worried calls to you will probably come down now that you have given such a kind of realistic view of the entire process. Be patient, understand things have changed, understand rules have changed, and opportunities will also fade away for the time being. And challenge—those are the challenges, but the attraction that you see is the experience and the teaching you get in the United States of America.

Sidharth Bhatia: So thank you very much for this. I know it’s been the end of a busy day for you, where you probably have faced these very questions the whole day. Thank you so much. That was Viral, who has been a guiding force to students going to different parts of the world, as well as to India, for the last 20 years. He mentors them as well as successfully helps them navigate the complex process of admission to foreign universities. Thank you once more. 

Sidharth Bhatia:  We’ll be back once again next week with another guest. Till then, from me, goodbye.

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