It's a small world after all — that's how international students in Buffalo feel knowing they all have the same fear of deportation if they can't find a job to keep them in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic.

What You Need To Know

  • International students battle pandemic and possible deportation
  • Students are trying to get visas that will let them work in the U.S.
  • One student from the University at Buffalo says she wants to be an inspiration for others
​

American students studying abroad were quickly shipped home because of the pandemic.

"My first thought as an international student was, ‘are they going to allow us to stay in the United States in times like this?’ " Rutuja Sawant said.

Sawant, or Rue to her friends from India, first stepped on U.S. soil in 2016. She is now 21 years old and has a degree in media study with a concentration in film from the University at Buffalo. Just when things started to fall into place, the pandemic yelled “cut.”

"I was like, ‘should I find a place in Buffalo? I don't have a job lined up yet, should I just go home?’ "  Sawant said.

Rue tells Spectrum News she has an F-1 Visa that allows her to be in class but does not allow her to work off campus. Since graduating she has found a job that she can do remotely, but it can't be official until she has proper documentation.

"Which lets you work on a student visa, so after you graduate you have to get approved for OPT and then you get an EAD card, then you're eligible to work," Sawant added.

Rue says she got approved for both visas just in time — but that doesn't mean it's the end of her struggle to get a job and stay in the U.S.

"I can't work until I have it in my hand physically, even after I get approved I have 90 days to find work or I have to go back home right away,” she said.

Even though some of her other international friends decided to leave the U.S. and head home, Rue says that's not an option she wants to explore.

"All this time invested would be gone, which is why I'm still here,” she said.

Despite all the uncertainty and fear, Rue says she'll continue to be the director of her life. She's planning to move to California in a few months to pursue a career in the film industry.