I came to America 3 years ago with a dream. I wanted to graduate with an American degree, earn a job on the American soil and live an American dream. How naive I was. Since I arrived, I've seen many international students forced to return to their home country. All of us had the American dream. Nonetheless, it seems out of reach to foreigners. Too many rules and regulations, too many fees, too many layers to infiltrate.

As an international college student, I can only work on campus for 20 hours a week during the school year. In the summer, I can work up to 40 hours a week. I cannot work off campus in keeping with the immigration regulation. If I want to, I can apply for an economic hardship with the immigration which will cost me $350 in July due to fee increase, without a guarantee whether I will be issued the permit or not. Upon graduation, the international student have one year of what is known as the Optical Practitioner Training. I am allowed to work legally in the United States during that period. To keep my status in check and be able to stay in the U.S. legally, I have to obtain a work visa which will be sponsored by my employer. Technically, I have one year to find a job and convince my employer to spend $4000 to apply a work visa for me. And that application again, does not come with a guarantee. Each year, only 65,000 applications are accepted. And what is the count of non-residents wanting to stay in the U.S.?

For non-residents, the American dream is like a lottery ticket. One cannot do much but rely on luck. If the God of Luck decides to smile upon you, it is your lucky day.

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