Given Trump’s record of restrictive legal immigration and visa policies, the possibility looms large of fresh immigration rules that hinder foreign students.

Several Chinese students in the US expressed scant hope of any supportive changes to immigration policy from the next administration.

“Trump has not yet taken office nor implemented any specific restrictive measures, leaving much uncertain. Nevertheless, my friends and I are mentally preparing ourselves for, potentially, even harsher developments ahead,” said Jennifer Zhang, a software engineer from Fujian working at a tech company in Silicon Valley.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the US that allows local employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations, such as technology or mathematics.