Many international students come to the U.S. with hopes of gaining work experience, either before returning to their home countries or pursuing a longer-term career in the U.S. But the administration’s intensifying scrutiny of international students — and signs that formal career pathways for them may be closed off — are leading some to reconsider their plans.

Citizenship and Immigration Services has transformed under President Donald Trump to emphasize fraud detection, enforcement and vetting, which has delayed processing and contributed to severe fiscal problems. Joseph Edlow, who now oversees the agency, said he hasn’t thought about the 2018 kerfuffle, but it crystallized for many how the Trump administration has changed the government's approach to legal immigration. New Trump administration rules range from making asylum protections more difficult to get to disqualifying more low-income applicants from green cards. Curbing legal immigration has been a priority for President Donald Trump as he's reshaped the immigration system, arguably more than any predecessor. Before the election, The Associated Press is examining several Trump immigration policies, including r estrictions on international students, a retreat from America’s humanitarian role, a virtual shutdown of asylum and now curbing legal immigration.

Citizenship and Immigration Services canceled more than 13,000 employee furloughs Tuesday, averting a catastrophe for the cash-strapped agency that oversees the nation's legal immigration system. A return to normal operating procedures requires congressional intervention to sustain the agency through fiscal year 2021.The agency had warned that without $1.2 billion in emergency funding from Congress, it would have been forced to furlough roughly 70% of its workforce starting Sunday, drastically curbing operations. Starting Oct. 2, the agency will increase its fees by roughly 20% on average and scrap fee waivers, including for asylum-seekers. Danielle Spooner, head of the union representing agency employees, said she was grateful to hear the decision, but there were no guarantees. The citizenship agency employs about 1,700 employees in the state, most of whom had received furlough notices.