International student, immigrant, or BOTH?

Q: Is an international student considered an immigrant?

A: Yes, according to definitions created by the Immigration and Nationality Act upheld by United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The Immigration and Nationality Act States that an immigrant can be “an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of abandoning, who is a bona fide student qualified to pursue a full course of study and who seeks to enter the United States temporarily and solely for the purpose of pursuing such a course of study.”

Photo Credit: Sergio Leone Berry

Sergio Leone Berry, a sophomore at the University of Miami, is an international student on an F-1 visa and immigrant to the United States.

“I’ve been here a lot, most of the times in Miami and Boston, but I just feel I blend in easily,” said Sergio, who is proud to be Ecuadorian but feels extremely blessed to study in America. “[But] I know that I am an immigrant. I do not have citizenship here and I am on a visa.”

Sergio, who is majoring in international studies, is a 20-year-old who was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His family in Ecuador runs a major tuna fishing business that is a supplier to Starkist Co., a fact that Sergio believes contributed to his ability to the study in the United States.

“My guess is that a lot of people in Ecuador would kill just to come here,” Sergio said. “I understand the enormous effort my family is making to keep me here, so I must give that back to them.”

Additionally, Sergio worked for the United States Consulate General in Ecuador as a political and economic intern. He feels that this job opportunity, combined with his family’s hard work, has put him in a more than fortunate position, despite how difficult it is to start life in another country.

“I guess that they [immigrants] are brave. It’s not just easy leaving you country. You look back and you left your family, your home, your people, your neighbors,” Sergio said. “Immigrants are trying just to make each day better for themselves and their families. And that’s what I’m doing.”

Motivational Words form Sergio about Immigration:
“I would say that first you need to feel you made the right decision, because it is not easy leaving one’s country and family behind to try and come to the United States. You do this because you want to succeed, get better in your life, and give a better life to your family. You must put faith into it. Success doesn’t come [as easy as] night and day, as fast as anyone would like. You need perseverance, you need discipline, and, sometimes, the right people to talk to—contacts really help…I believe there is a road for everyone to walk on. Those roads lead to success, in many ways.”