International Students Face Added Obstacles in New York City

By NICOLE CASTRO

Suspicious landlords and unsympathetic employers are just two of the obstacles Neville Layne would have to overcome in his quest to make it as an international student at the City College of New York.

Layne came to New York from Barbados in the fall of 2004 for two reasons: school and new experiences. During his first month in New York, Layne stayed with family friends, rent free. Soon after he was able to find an apartment that he shared with another Barbadian. Though splitting the rent made the apartment affordable, he quickly learned how costly living in the city can be.
“It was difficult in the first year finding an apartment because I didn’t know the city so even if I saw an ad for an affordable place it was hard to know if it was also in a safe neighborhood and easy to get to,” Layne said. “I didn’t know what a fair price was and soon realized that the New York City rental was extremely competitive.”

Approximately 200 international students were admitted to City College this year. Adjusting to a new place like New York City would be difficult for anyone, but international students must overcome a number of obstacles incomparable to those American students may face, like applying for a job or finding management companies that will accept non-residents as tenants in their apartment buildings.

Layne had been living in the city for a little over a year. Once his lease was up on his apartment he needed to find another place to live. The freedom of knowing his city better allowed Layne to move to areas once considered unfamiliar territory. Layne used a number of Internet sites, like Craigslist, to find roommates and anything else he needed in the city.

“I got to know the city better which made me feel more comfortable venturing out of the Caribbean neighborhoods,” Layne said.

In Barbados, most people don’t apartment hunt. They house hunt. The demand for real estate is far less than in New York City. The initial deposits that management companies require are much less and normally there is not a credit check.

“It isn’t the frantic ‘run as soon as you see the ad’ scene it is in New York City,” Layne said. “It would be more comparable to small town America.”

Another international student at City College, Rita M., encountered similar obstacles during her transition. This student, a senior at the college, asked that her real name and initials not be used because she was working in the United Staets illegally in order to pay for her schooling and living expenses. Rita M. moved from Guyana to New York in the fall of 2004 as well.

“Living in NYC can be challenging in terms of expense, finding a decent apartment and being able to rent it,” she said. “For me the most difficult part was finding the money to pay the rent.”

Student visas limit how much money international students can earn. They are only allowed to work for the school that they attend or a company within their field of study, which is subject to school approval. At City College, international students may work only twenty hours a week. Most jobs require students to have social security numbers. For some employers, the process is so drawn out and complex that some offices on campus no longer hire international students looking for first time employment. The process can take anywhere from six weeks to two months.
“Very few jobs are going to wait two months just to put you on staff,” said Layne.

Paying bills and supporting oneself is a challenge for many Americans. But how many Americans are discriminated against or perceived as a burden when it comes to job hunting, looking for an apartment, or finding health insurance. Living in America without citizenship poses problems that typical Americans don’t face.

“We live with discrimination daily,” said Rita M. “No green card means no citizenship, and no citizenship means people don’t want to deal with you.”

Like Layne, Rita M. relied on family as her bridge to independence in New York City. She moved in with her relatives in a five family apartment unit, in the Bronx, that they also own. Rita M. acted as unofficial superintendent: running errands, attending to the other tenants’ problems in the building, and doing some chores around the house.

“The living conditions were not that great,” Rita M. said. “I shared facilities with many people. However I was able to adjust with that because where I came from it was more or less the same.”

In her efforts to find a place of her own, Rita M. found herself working a number of different jobs. Always on a constant search for a better job, Rita M. worked in retail and as a cashier making minimum wage. Not having a social security number affects job opportunities, limits real estate options, and denies international students any federal help in finding health insurance.

“No social security means management companies don’t trust you living in their apartments,” said Rita M. “It also means employers don’t want to hire you.”

Even a dream like going to Medical School is crushed by Rita M.’s lack of citizenship. Most medical schools in the United States will fill seats with American students first. If there happens to be any spot still open after all American students have been considered, those seats will then be offered to international students.

With 20.4 percent foreign born persons living in New York City, moving to America didn’t always feel like living in a foreign country.

“Living in a city where there are so many foreigners made me feel like I wasn’t the only one going through this,” Rita M. said. “The diversity of the people here made me feel welcome and more comfortable. I was able to assimilate like all the other international students here.”

Layne and Rita M. are approaching their last year at City College this spring but neither plans on an immediate return home. After four years, Layne now has a social security card, though his job opportunities are still limited by his visa. Rita M. still plans on applying to medical school.

Editor’s Note: The name Rita M. is a pseudonym.