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<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple">Apple</a> first showed off the Apple Vision Pro in June 2023, hoping developers would build awesome apps for it when it went on sale in January.</li><li>That hasn't really happened.</li></ul>Where are the apps?Specifically: Where are the apps for the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/apple-vision-pro-review">Apple Vision Pro</a>, the $3,500 headset Apple introduced earlier this year?This is a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-vision-pro-apps-ben-thompson-immersive-video-2024-4">question</a> we've asked <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-vision-pro-killer-app-six-months-later-2024-8">repeatedly</a>, and the answer seems to be pretty consistent: Developers aren't leaping to build anything for Apple Vision Pro because they don't think many people are using Apple Vision Pro.But if developers don't build for the Apple Vision Pro, then there's never going to be any reason for people to buy an Apple Vision Pro. It's an expensive Catch-22, or vicious cycle, or doom loop. You pick the phrase you like best/hate the least.Now we have a new data point about developer's resistance to Apple Vision Pro via <a target="_blank" href="https://appfigures.com/">Appfigures</a>, an app store tracking service: Just two apps built specifically for the device debuted in September. That's down from a high of 252 in February, following the AVP's launch. (The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/apple-vision-pro-software-sales-fec324c0">Wall Street Journal</a> has previously cited Appfigure's data.)Overall, there are about 1,770 apps for the Vision Pro in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--underline" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-app-store">Apple's App Store</a>, according to Appfigures' count. During <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--underline" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-earnings">Apple's most recent earnings call</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--underline" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo">Apple CEO Tim Cook</a> said there were "more than 2,500" native apps for the device. (Appfigures says its count could be different because some apps aren't used enough to register on its charts. Apple declined to comment.)Regardless of the specific numbers, the Apple Vision Pro just doesn't seem to have broken through into pop culture, or even the tech version of pop culture: Short of stories like this one, wondering about the state of the device, you just simply don't hear people talking about Vision Pro, one way or another, in the wild. (The only time I've heard people talking about it recently was last month at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/orion-meta-ar-smart-glasses-review-2024-9">Meta's reveal of Orion</a>, the prototype of lightweight computer glasses it hopes to start selling in a couple years. Even after taking into account the fact that Apple Vision Pro is a product you can buy right now, and that Orion only exists inside Meta's office buildings, the comparisons were not favorable to Apple.)Standard caveats: Apple can afford to be in this market for the long haul, and seems certain to take more cracks at the category. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-10-13/apple-smart-home-plans-new-os-smart-displays-vision-pro-integration-robots-m27kw5m7?srnd=undefined">Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's well-sourced Apple reporter</a>, expects to see a cheaper, lighter version of the device as early as next year.Meanwhile, Apple continues to release its own apps and software for the device. Last week, it released "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYJcUtVIB_g">Submerged</a>," which it described as "the first scripted short film captured in Apple Immersive Video" — Apple's propriety format for 3D movies that is supposed to be one of the big selling points for the headset.It sounds pretty cool: "The result is impressive. As water rushed into this fictional submarine, I could taste the faint memory of salt water on my tongue. When characters walked down narrow submarine corridors, I felt claustrophobic," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/10/24266816/submerged-apple-vision-pro-immersive-film">writes</a> The Verge's Victoria Song, who got a demo of the movie.Then again, writes Song: "I can't say with a straight face that this is the killer reason anyone should buy one of these things." Which brings us back to where we started.

Apple is still waiting for a killer app for the Apple Vision Pro. It may have to wait for some time.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australia plans to cut new international student enrollment by a third next year.</li><li>The cap follows a surge in international students post-pandemic, straining the rental market.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-law-right-to-disconnect-ignore-calls-after-hours-work-2024-8">Australia</a> is capping new international students next year, in an effort to curb record migration.The country plans to limit <a target="_blank" class="" href=" https://www.businessinsider.com/how-employers-can-support-international-students-job-seekers-2022-3">international student</a> enrollments to 270,000 in 2025, Australian education minister announced on Tuesday. In 2023, there were just over 400,000 new international students."There's about 10% more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/studying-abroad-in-north-korea-isolating-surreal-friendships-made-2024-7">international students</a> in our universities today than before the pandemic, and about 50% more in our private vocational and training providers," education minister Jason Clare said in a press briefing on Tuesday. "These reforms are designed to make it better and fairer, and set it up on a more sustainable footing going forward."The government will assign each university or vocational institute an individual limit.Australia has about 718,000 total <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-visa-moved-usa-canada-immigrants-2024-7">international students</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-diplomat-chinese-students-should-not-access-sensitive-tech-2024-6">primarily from China</a>, India, and Nepal, according to 2024 education department <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research/international-student-numbers-country-state-and-territory">figures</a>.Curbs on migration were first announced in December, when Australia said it would tighten visa scrutiny for graduates and require students to secure higher scores on their English proficiency tests.The restrictions come after a period of concessions to encourage foreign workers and students who left during the pandemic to return to Australia. That created an influx of foreigners, which worsened the pressure on the country's tight rental market.Clare added that the restrictions will also limit the amount of "shonks" — people and businesses exploiting the demand for international education in Australia. Authorities have previously said that some providers participate in unethical practices or scams, such as recruiting students who are not proficient enough in English to do well, luring students with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/26/fraudulent-course-providers-face-closure-in-labors-international-education-crackdown">promises of jobs</a>, or promising tuition fee discounts to those who recruit other students.Canada announced similar limitations earlier this year, in an effort to bring down the costs of buying and renting homes.Canada's immigration agency said in January that it will cap the number of acceptances for international study permits. The move is expected to cut the number of students by 35% compared to last year and reduce the number of "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10241346/international-student-visas-canada/">puppy mills</a>" that provide poor-quality education.According to a study by education consultant IDP, the US, Australia, the UK, and Canada are hotspots for those seeking international education, with countries like Germany, New Zealand, and Ireland gaining interest in recent years.Since May 2023, the UK has clamped down on international students bringing their families on all student visas, except postgraduate research and those with government scholarships. The changes have also reduced the number of people using student passes as a loophole to work. The government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tough-government-action-on-student-visas-comes-into-effect">forecast</a> that the changes would lead to 140,000 fewer people coming to the country.In the US, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/h1b-visa-lottery-changes-benefit-startups-hiring-immigrants-2024-2">dwindling chances</a> of landing a work visa after graduation because of the H-1B lottery system have made the country less attractive for some foreign students. A Trump-era executive order <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2021/08/10/biden-keeps-costly-trump-visa-policy-denying-chinese-grad-students/">denying visas to Chinese graduate students</a> also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decline-china-international-students-economy-universities-trump-biden-immigration-covid-2022-8">slashed the number of enrollments.</a>

It's a terrible time to be an international student. Australia is the latest country to limit visas.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thousands of <keyword id="19953645" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chinese-migrants" source="keywords">Chinese migrants</keyword> flew into Ecuador last year in hopes of walking into the US.</li><li>But Ecuador is now cutting its yearslong <keyword id="22159339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa-free-access" source="keywords">visa-free access</keyword> to Chinese citizens after a surge in <keyword id="19929766" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="migrants" source="keywords">migrants</keyword>.</li></ul>Ecuador is suspending visa-free access for Chinese travelers starting July 1, closing off a popular arrival spot used last year by thousands of Chinese migrants trekking to the <keyword id="19953646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Mexico-border" source="keywords">US-Mexico border</keyword>. Since 2016, Ecuador has allowed Chinese nationals to enter its borders without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. But in a statement on Tuesday seen by Business Insider, the <keyword id="20245662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ministry-of-foreign-affairs" source="keywords">Ministry of Foreign Affairs</keyword> and Human Mobility said it was ending the program "due to the unusual increase in irregular migratory flows of Chinese citizens" who overstayed their 90 days. It is only one of two nations in the Americas that offers visa-free access to Chinese nationals. The other is Suriname, a smaller country of about 618,000 people. The Ecuadorian ministry noted that about 50% of all Chinese arrivals "have not left through regular routes and within the times established by law." Many people have used the country as a "starting point to reach other destinations in the Hemisphere," the ministry added. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.niskanencenter.org/new-data-suggests-political-repression-slowing-economy-driving-irregular-chinese-migration-to-u-s/">The Niskanen Center</a> assessed in May that Chinese travelers entered Ecuador 48,381 times in 2023 but only left the country legally 24,240 times that year. The deficit was "by far the highest number of any nationality," the US think tank wrote. It comes amid a surge in Chinese arrivals that year, with a 235% increase compared to the previous five-year average, per the Niskanen Center. The visa-free access recently made Ecuador a major entry point into the Americas for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukkLIFQWG4g&amp;t=1735s&amp;ab_channel=CNAInsider">Chinese migrants looking to travel through Central America and reach the US-Mexico border.</a> In response to Ecuador's Tuesday decision, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/fyrbt_673021/jzhsl_673025/202406/t20240618_11437859.shtml">Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson</a> said the country "firmly opposes any form of <keyword id="22159340" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smuggling-activities" source="keywords">smuggling activities</keyword>." "In recent years, Chinese law enforcement agencies have cracked down on crimes that hinder national border management and have maintained a high-pressure crackdown on various smuggling organizations and criminals engaged in smuggling activities, achieving remarkable results," the spokesperson said. <h2>How Chinese migrants use Ecuador to get to the US</h2>Thousands of migrants fly into Ecuador before traveling through Colombia, where they begin a grueling trek on <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/15/americas/darien-gap-migrants-colombia-panama-whole-story-cmd-intl/index.html" target="_blank">a perilous, cartel-run route</a> through a stretch of jungle called the <keyword id="22159341" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Darin-Gap" source="keywords">Darién Gap</keyword>. If successful, they emerge in Panama. Over 15,500 Chinese migrants were counted exiting the Darién Gap in 2023, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/through-darien-gap-new-path-chinese-asylum-seekers-united-states">Washington-based think tank The Wilson Center.</a> "This figure is nearly eight times as many from the same period in 2022 and more than 40 times that of 2021," wrote Joshua Peng, a program associate in refugee and displacement research at The Wilson Center. Many migrants then travel to Mexico, attempting to reach the US through its southern border. <keyword id="19959298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-border" source="keywords">US border</keyword> officials said they <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/china-immigration-border-deportation-mayorkas-514f42ee56e80fe7eb7f9fcc71c4d55c">detained 37,000 Chinese migrants attempting to cross the border in 2023</a>, or 10 times the number detained in the year before. The true number of those attempting to cross the border is likely higher. <div type="image" title="Chinese migrants huddle in a line to receive colored wristbands from a US Border Patrol agent at a makeshift camp." height="2667" width="4000" msid="111136208" hostid="261"></div>The flow of Chinese migrants continued to surge in 2024, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-border-mexico-chinese-migrants-60-minutes/">CBS reporting</a> in February that it observed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-migrants-guide-douyin-how-to-cross-us-border-cbs-2024-2">600 migrants, many of whom were Chinese, entering the US in a single day.</a> The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability <a target="_blank" href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/05/11/media-advisory-homeland-subcommittee-hearing-on-unprecedented-surge-of-chinese-illegal-immigration/">said in May</a> that the number of Chinese nationals encountered by authorities at the US border in March had jumped 8,000% from the same period in 2021. <keyword id="19959299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal-immigration" source="keywords">Illegal immigration</keyword> from the southern border has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-want-to-kill-bipartisan-border-bill-help-trump-campaign-2024-1">rising in political prominence</a> in the US, with Republican leaders <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-spent-nearly-9-million-busing-migrants-over-holidays-2023-1">pushing for increased border security</a> and saying southern states are unable to cope with a surge in migrants. Data on Chinese arrivals in Ecuador give some clues to the demographics of migrants reaching the US. According to the Niskanen Center, Shanghai is the Chinese region with the highest per-capita rate of people leaving to reach Ecuador, with 274 arrivals for every 1 million people in Shanghai. Hong Kong is second, with 257 arrivals per 1 million people, followed by Beijing, with 161 arrivals per 1 million people. Xinjiang is sixth, with 24 arrivals per 1 million people. Correction: June 21, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the country Colombia.

The thousands of Chinese migrants headed to the US-Mexico border just lost their key entry point to America

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I bought a house in Cork, Ireland, but I still <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-between-us-and-ireland-biggest-everyday-differences-culture-shock-2024-10">live in the US for part of the year</a>.</li><li>My <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-an-irish-person-as-an-american-biggest-differences-2022-8">Irish husband</a> lives in the house full time, and I go back and forth between Atlanta and Cork.</li></ul>Years ago, I had a dream (yes, really) telling me to head to West Cork, Ireland. On that whim, I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hate-all-inclusive-resorts-first-trip-left-early-2024-9">booked a vacation</a> and ended up meeting folks who've become lifelong friends and feeling more at home than I had in years.Next thing I knew, I met a nice Irishman — who's now my husband — and started looking at houses in the area.I quickly needed to figure out the best way to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-in-los-angeles-us-and-athens-greece-biggest-differences-2024-4">live between two continents</a> because, for the foreseeable future at least, I'm still in Atlanta part-time. I'd need time to figure out the logistics of things like filing taxes, getting healthcare, moving my pets, and transitioning my US-based work.The prospect of splitting the year between two countries is exciting, but it's also been a bit overwhelming.<h2 id="d171a943-8daf-479f-a9e5-b5cde61e6764">My living situation is a puzzle that's still coming together</h2>Now that I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cant-afford-buy-house-in-us-invested-europe-vacation-home-2024-3">own a home in Cork</a> and my husband lives there full-time, my life is full of lots of shifting pieces and moving parts.I've had to be really, really particular about which pieces and belongings I want to take to Ireland because <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-moved-from-us-to-switzerland-for-life-they-wanted-2024-9">shipping things overseas</a> isn't cheap.Most of my beloved possessions are antiques or family heirlooms, which presents added challenges because I can't just swing down to Dunnes in Cork to purchase a replacement.<div type="image" title="julia posing with a bouquet of goldenrod flowers" height="747" width="996" msid="115312081" hostid="261" sizebytes="157936"></div>On a smaller scale, I've also had to find someone to tend my garden in Atlanta when I'm away — particularly since I have a nosy neighbor who calls in code violations on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-backyard-trends-fall-interior-designers-gardeners-2024-10">people's yards</a> for fun.Luckily, my husband does a wonderful job caring for our home in Ireland, which saves me so many headaches. Each time I return, the house is nice, cozy, and well-maintained.<h2 id="fbc90110-1a8a-4721-9bd1-297d51a97aad">My work life is also shifting gears</h2>As a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/self-employment-career-change-multiple-income-sources-advice-2024-6">self-employed food writer</a>, I can pretty much work from anywhere.Once I am in Ireland often enough to be on a visa, I should theoretically have no problem continuing to work as I do now. I'll just have to pay taxes in two places.To prepare, however, I've been shifting how I work a little.Since I'm bouncing between time zones, I've streamlined my <a target="_blank" href="http://rootsandbranches.squarespace.com/">writing coaching</a> work so each group meets at times that work for both Western Europe and the East Coast.Although I used to teach fermentation and other cooking lessons in person, I've moved my culinary classes <a target="_blank" href="http://culinarycuriosityschool.com/">fully online</a>, allowing me to continue to teach and connect with my students wherever I am in the world.I also maintain a separate office/art studio in each country as my own creative sanctuary. Having a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-favorite-work-perk-having-own-desk-to-decorate-2024-7">dedicated creative space</a> helps me produce my best work and keeps me focused.<h2 id="6b170c49-6401-436a-9668-4fb55a0f03e4">Things may be a bit hectic now, but I actually love living between two countries</h2><div type="image" title="irish &quot;failte&quot; welcome mat outside a front door" height="2268" width="3024" msid="115312085" hostid="261" sizebytes="1826318"></div>Life across two continents can be both complicated and exciting. But what makes it really fun is having two wonderful communities of people who love and support me wherever I am.Splitting myself in two isn't always convenient, but I've been very grateful for the opportunity to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-9-5-for-slow-minimalist-life-as-youtuber-2024-10">slowly transition into my new life</a> with my husband.

I bought a house in Cork. My Irish husband lives there full-time, but I'm still going back and forth between the US.

A US-based diaspora body on Tuesday launched an online petition campaign urging the Secretary of State Anthony <keyword id="10620101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="blinken" source="Orion">Blinken</keyword> to reduce the long waitlist for various types of American visas being issued from <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>. "We request the State Department, Secretary of State Mr Anthony Blinken and the US embassies in India to eliminate wait times for <keyword id="6359421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa" source="Orion">visa</keyword> appointments in India. "Even after a two-year-long Covid-era pause in visa appointments at the US embassies in India, the visa appointment situation is far from normal, requiring 300 to 900 days of wait time based on the visa types," Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies or FIIDS said launching its online petition campaign. As per travel.state.gov reports on October 31, there is an average 900+ days' wait time for appointments for visitors' visa (B1/B2), an average 400 days' wait time for students (F, M,J) and an average 300 days' wait time for petition-based temp workers like H, L, O, P and Q across the USA consulates in India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata), it said. In contrast, the US consulates in China only have an average three days' wait time, FIIDS said. "The 900+ days' delay deprives Indian Americans and Indian immigrants in the USA of having their beloved relatives to visit, whether in the time of difficulties, needs, or for celebrations, impacting their quality of life," it said. "The 400+ days' wait time affects students joining the US universities, that not only impacts students' future but also negatively impacts the US universities," FIIDS said, adding, the 300+ days' wait time is impacting productivity and success of various industries and businesses due to lack of skilled workers. "We urge the US State Department and Sec Blinken to resolve this issue. We believe it is not only important for US interests but the right thing to do on moral and compassionate grounds," FIIDS said in its petition on Change.Org. "As per Reuters news on 27th Sept, the Secretary of State blamed the lack of resources and funding due to lost revenues from fees on this 'self-financed program,'" the petition said. "We request the concerned authorities to take all necessary steps and to seek emergency funds to resolve this backlog. We are eager to assist in any way possible and will forge a coalition of individuals who will rise to the occasion to assist in mitigating this issue," it added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-fired-twitter-execs-including-ceo-parag-agrawal-for-cause-in-a-bid-to-avoid-paying-out-tens-of-millions-in-severance-report-says/articleshow/95182325.cms">Elon Musk fired Twitter execs including CEO Parag Agrawal 'for cause' in a bid to avoid paying out tens of millions in severance, report says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-staff-have-been-told-to-work-84-hour-weeks-and-managers-slept-at-the-office-over-the-weekend-as-they-scramble-to-meet-elon-musks-tight-deadlines-reports-say/articleshow/95232215.cms">Twitter staff have been told to work 84-hour weeks and managers slept at the office over the weekend as they scramble to meet Elon Musk's tight deadlines, reports say</a>

Diaspora group launches online petition urging Blinken to reduce visa wait time

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Andres Pico, a software engineer from Ecuador, navigated the US education system to land a job at Microsoft.</li><li>Pico faced challenges adapting to US standardized tests and sought scholarships to fund his education.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andres Pico, a 29-year-old software engineer in Seattle. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I grew up in a small beach town called Manta in Ecuador with my dad, mom, and two sisters. My dad always taught me that there was nothing I couldn't do.I became interested in computers and technology because of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/playstation-plus">PlayStation</a>. Sometimes, I couldn't finish a game because the dialogue and options were in English, so I became very motivated to learn computers and English.<h2 id="aea16f41-f4aa-4e6e-926f-62684543751d">After graduating from high school, I decided I wanted to pursue my education in the US</h2>To apply to a university in the US, you must pass either the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/do-colleges-require-standardized-testing-sat-admissions-what-it-means-2024-3">SAT or ACT</a>. I bought an ACT book and prepared for many months to ensure I could get a good score.I knew I couldn't attend college in the US without a scholarship, so I began investigating scholarships and programs. I found the University of South Florida in Tampa offered a scholarship for students from Latin American countries that would get me a student visa.I was awarded the scholarship, which allowed me to receive a stipend of $1,000 a year to cover textbooks and resident status for tuition purposes.<h2 id="1ea4606f-8ed1-484d-bf1a-b39e05b12a66">I began a bachelor's degree in computer engineering in 2012</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-and-uk-life-biggest-differences-after-moving-home-space-2024-7">Coming to the US</a> at 17 was very challenging. It was my first time leaving home, and there was a lot I didn't understand about the US. I had no close friends or family here for support or guidance.It was also very exciting, as it was an opportunity to push myself. It took some time to get used to classes in English. I studied hard from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.<h2 id="d640f046-61e6-4e77-9c39-669f1b3f751d">In my second semester, I found the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers</h2>The SHPE is a national organization that empowers Hispanics and offers mentorship programs in STEM. Classmates told me they offered free pizza. I'm really glad I was feeling hungry that day.They were welcoming and taught me the basics of the school system, how to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-this-is-an-excellent-resume-2013-11">create a résumé</a>, conduct interviews, and apply to grad school. It was a blessing to find them — suddenly, I had a community of people who wanted to help me succeed.<h2 id="e2632ea8-177e-49a0-b62a-e961cc3cb10a">A fellow student advised me to get as many internships as possible</h2>That was the best advice I received for navigating the US system. If I had just focused on the school material and not gained practical experience, I'm not sure I would've been able to find a job after graduating.I had multiple internships as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/recruiter-how-filter-applications-software-engineering-job-post-atl-interview-2024-5">software engineer</a> with local companies in data centers and startups via student work permits. These internships allowed me to gain experience and earn some money.I was extremely fortunate to count on my dad's support to cover any difference between my earnings and expenses.<h2 id="f9d3935c-b09d-48b2-9bb8-dfcaa291a51f">I went on to pursue a master's degree in computer science at Virginia Tech</h2>I sought universities with good computer science programs and scholarships or assistantships. Virginia Tech had an amazing program and great tenured professors, and it offered me an opportunity as a TA, so the decision was obvious.My teaching assistantship paid for all my tuition and also paid me around $20,000 each semester.<h2 id="c9fdec8c-c770-4f06-a7af-8a6bb5f26c51">I started applying for jobs in 2017</h2>I must've applied for over 100 of them. When you apply, employers ask you if they'll need to sponsor you at some point in the future, as not every employer can cover the financial costs associated with the process when the time comes.I received four offers from Microsoft, Verizon, Deutsche Bank, and Disney. Microsoft had the best offer and was willing to sponsor my visa.<h2 id="a93721cf-c9e0-46f2-bd96-3071c98b4800">I started as a software engineer with Microsoft in 2018</h2>When I started my job at Microsoft in Seattle, I could work thanks to a student work permit that lasts one year after graduation and is granted to all F-1 visa students. While working on the student permit, your employer helps you apply for an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/h1b-visa-lottery-changes-benefit-startups-hiring-immigrants-2024-2">H-1B</a> visa.I applied for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-green-card-applications-pause-2024-5">green card</a> after working on my H-1B visa for a year. By this point, I had lived in the US for about six years and created a whole life here, but the green card process was very painful.<h2 id="a2b4001a-c572-41e4-89cb-053b4e3c883a">The process makes life pretty horrible</h2>Having a work visa and going through the green card process are privileges, but it is very hard to separate the emotional component.There's no guarantee that you'll get to stay. If something goes wrong at any given time, you have to be ready to pack your bags and leave everything behind. I know some people who tried to get it three times and ran out of chances and had to return home.The first few years working were also difficult because I wasn't around anyone who looked like me. I wanted to grow and challenge myself, but at the same time, it made me wonder if I belonged, and doubt and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/managing-imposter-syndrome-when-you-are-the-boss-2021-10">imposter syndrome</a> crept in.Luckily, Microsoft paid for the attorneys in the green card process, and no cost came out of my pocket.<h2 id="1eb526a5-91be-4063-bec1-58a529e97297">I had to constantly review what they were putting on the application forms</h2>My key takeaway is that, even if you're working with lawyers, you still have to assume complete ownership of the application process and remember the lawyers supporting you, being human, can make mistakes.I was audited because some of the information that had been submitted was incorrect. It took me six to eight months to provide supplemental information and pass the audit.In 2022, I finally received my green card after three years.<h2 id="bd375841-9305-458d-bfb3-92ac255d1675">Last year, I decided to move into product management and took a new job at Starbucks</h2>In software engineering, you work on problems created by engineers for engineers. I wanted to learn how to build products that our customers actually love, so I ended up becoming a technical product manager.I love the US, I love the city I live in, and I love its people. I try to make it a better place by providing value through my career and volunteering in my local community.I even recently <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-couple-left-nyc-bought-vermont-house-slow-life-2024-9">bought a house</a> here — I don't have plans to move anywhere else.Want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.

I got my green card after working at Microsoft on an H-1B visa. The process was very painful, but I love the US and don't plan to leave.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>If Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidency, it could help him in his four criminal cases.</li><li>"Setting politics aside, there is a lot at stake legally for Trump," one legal expert said.</li></ul>Not only is the presidency on the line for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> in the 2024 election, but so are his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-criminal-cases-ranked-how-much-legal-trouble-2023-8">four criminal indictments</a>.Winning would largely free the former president for the foreseeable future from dealing with his criminal cases. Losing to Democratic rival <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-political-career-photos-2024-11">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> means he must face these cases head-on."Setting politics aside, there is a lot at stake legally for Trump" in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-watch-for-election-day-harris-trump-congress-2024-11">November 5 election</a>, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Business Insider.Here's what will happen with Trump's four criminal cases — two federal and two state — if he wins or loses this year's presidency.<div type="image" title="This courtroom sketch from the Manhattan hush-money trial shows Donald Trump conferring with attorney Todd Blanche as Judge Juan Merchan watches from the bench." height="1875" width="2500" msid="114994501" hostid="261" sizebytes="716912"></div><h2 id="06f2e166-49f8-4400-b448-e35dc4e031fa">The New York hush-money case</h2>Whether Trump wins or loses the election, he will have a mandatory November 26 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-presidential-immunity-could-delay-hush-money-sentencing-legal-experts-2024-8">Manhattan sentencing</a> date on his calendar.Trump, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hush-money-trial-verdict-2024-5">first US president convicted of a crime</a>, faces anywhere from zero to four years in jail for his May conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up his $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actor <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stormy-daniels-takes-stand-donald-trump-hush-money-trial-2024-5">Stormy Daniels</a>.There is some chance that date will be delayed. Trump has promised to fight his indictment and conviction in New York's appellate courts. He will argue that the evidence in the case includes acts that were done in his official role as president — evidence that is barred under July's landmark US Supreme Court <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-trump-immunity-january-6-election-ruling-decision-2024-5">presidential immunity decision</a>.Once he's sentenced, experts say more appeals could keep even a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-going-jail-time-ny-indictment-slim-odds-2023-3">jail sentence</a> on hold for years — though a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-judges-weigh-in-on-trump-hush-money-sentencing-2024">jail sentence is highly unlikely</a>, a quartet of former New York judges previously told BI.Winning the presidency would extend things even further, as Trump could argue he's too busy running the country to tend to his personal legal issues.Cornell Law School professor Michael Dorf said it's likely that if Trump won back the White House, he would immediately file court papers to delay the sentencing until he is no longer president.Rahmani, the president and cofounder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said that he does not believe Trump would be sentenced to jail "regardless of the outcome of the election.""Trump winning makes it logistically impossible and a certainty that he won't receive any time," Rahmani said.<div type="image" title="Special counsel Jack Smith" height="1667" width="2500" msid="114994492" hostid="261" sizebytes="151876"></div><h2 id="b14beff9-4c49-4e75-8485-3b47fadd7db8">Trump's federal cases</h2>Trump has two federal indictments, both brought by special counsel <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-releases-prosecutors-evidence-against-trump-in-election-interference-case-2024-10">Jack Smith</a>, and both eligible for a presidential pardon, though a self-pardon has never been tried.If reelected president, Trump could ask his attorney general to fire Smith. He could also ask the courts to halt the federal prosecutions as there is long-standing Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted while in office, or attempt to pardon himself, said Dorf.Trump said in a conservative radio interview last month that if elected, he would fire Smith "within two seconds."Justice Department regulations permit only firing a special counsel for good cause, but Trump could have his attorney general rescind that regulation, Dorf noted.Firing Smith "is basically his right as president, though I would expect Smith to resign before then, just as a matter of course," said Michel Paradis, an attorney who teaches national security and constitutional law at Columbia Law School."The key thing to watch would be what Jack Smith does between Election Day and January 20 to potentially protect those prosecutions from interference," Paradis said."There's not a lot he can do to make them ironclad since, at the end of the day, the president does control the Justice Department," Paradis said.One thing Smith may try prior to Trump taking the oath is to seek to stay both proceedings during the presidency, again on the grounds that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office, Paradis said.Trump has pleaded not guilty to both federal indictments. In response to a request for comment, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, "The Lyin' Kamala Harris - Crooked Joe Biden Witch Hunts against President Trump have imploded just like their failed campaign, and should all be dismissed in light of the Supreme Court's historic decision on immunity and other vital jurisprudence." A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<div type="image" title="donald trump washington dc court illustation" height="1666" width="2500" msid="114994505" hostid="261" sizebytes="393128"></div><h2 id="51fce551-72ad-4a09-953b-b04f65b65a0b">The federal election interference case</h2>If Trump loses, that does not mean Smith's prosecution of Trump's most serious federal case — charges that he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-judge-release-additional-evidence-election-interference-case-2024-10">tried to overturn the 2020 election</a> — will barrel forward at full speed.Citizen Trump would continue to challenge the so-called election interference case on grounds of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-trump-presidential-immunity-jan-6-criminal-case-2024-4">presidential immunity</a>, experts predict.In July, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion that provides presidents with broad protection from being prosecuted for their official acts. The opinion also bars the use of official-act evidence in any prosecution of a former president, even on charges not relating to official acts.In August, Smith <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-hit-with-revised-january-6-indictment-jack-smith-2024-8">won a revised indictment</a> that stresses that Trump is being charged for his conduct as a private, office-seeking citizen.<h2 id="8e077f9c-bb2c-47d1-a4d7-8821deb311f9">The federal classified documents case</h2>Trump's classified documents case, alleging that he failed to return government secrets he took from the White House, was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-documents-case-dismissed-judge-2024-7">dismissed in July</a> by Trump-nominated US District Judge <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-aileen-cannon-just-handed-donald-trump-another-legal-win-2024-5">Aileen Cannon</a>, who said Smith's appointment violated the Constitution.The dismissal, which argues Congress should have approved Smith's appointment, is now being appealed by Smith in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Smith's appeals point to what he calls "the long tradition of special-counsel appointments by Attorneys' General."Whoever loses the appeal can appeal further, keeping Trump busy with the classified documents case for many months.<div type="image" title="Fani Willis" height="683" width="1024" msid="114994496" hostid="261" sizebytes="35968"></div><h2 id="abbc3f6b-4e08-47de-8e59-2820bd0f75a9">The Georgia election interference case</h2>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-trump-indictment-unsealed-read-full-text-charges-2023-8">election interference case in Georgia</a> against Trump and 18 of his allies <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-georgia-election-interference-fani-willis-appeals-court-2024-5">remains in legal limbo</a>, thanks to defendants' efforts to get the Fulton County district attorney, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fani-willis-stand-legal-experts-split-effectiveness-georgia-trump-2024-2">Fani Willis</a>, disqualified from the state case.In May, a Georgia appeals court agreed to consider Trump's bid to get Willis removed from the case.Attorneys for Trump and his codefendants had previously argued in a motion to disqualify Willis that she had a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fani-willis-removed-from-trumps-georgia-election-interference-case-2024-2">conflict of interest in the case</a> because she improperly benefited from a romantic relationship with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nathan-wade-testifies-fani-willis-fulton-county-district-attorney-2024-2">Nathan Wade</a>, the Atlanta lawyer she hired as a special prosecutor.After an evidentiary hearing earlier this year, a judge ruled that Willis and her office could remain on the case so long as Wade stepped aside, and Wade announced his resignation hours later.Trump has pleaded not guilty to the Georgia indictment.If Trump wins the presidency, he could immediately file papers with the Georgia court "saying you got to put this on hold for the time that I'm president because it's just not consistent with federal supremacy to have a state prosecuting a sitting president," Dorf, a constitutional law expert, said."He doesn't control the prosecutors, so you can't fire them, and he can't pardon himself because these are state crimes, so his only option really in the state cases is suspend them," said Dorf.If Trump loses the election, the case could move forward. Though Trump is likely to move to get it dismissed based on the Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling.

Trump still has 4 criminal indictments waiting for him — here's what happens if he wins or loses

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Each time I got pregnant, my husband and I waited for some kind of sign to decide on a name.</li><li>We've used a baby book in an unexpected way and once, I heard a name I loved at just the right time.</li></ul>I've always believed there was some kind of metaphysical woo-woo at work behind the scenes, guiding me to make the right decisions. Once, when I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/always-do-a-proper-breakup-with-partner-2023-9">broke up with my partner</a> and was deciding whether or not to fly home from Canada to Australia to win him back, I went to a pub. On the wall, there was a Christmas stocking with his last name on it. I saw it and booked a ticket the next day. We're now happily married.When it came to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/changed-kids-names-to-include-my-last-name-2024-4">naming our kids</a>, I waited for a sign before naming each one of them. It may sound weird and wacky, but it worked for us.<h2 id="0af9e63e-83b5-4940-9875-9d22e15b3bb4">We used a baby name book in an unexpected way for our son</h2>For our first child, my husband Sam and I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-name-consultant-hot-trends-now-2024-8">borrowed a name book</a> from a friend. There must have been at least 1000 names in there. But rather than endlessly flip through them looking for something we liked and making list after list, we decided to take a different approach. One night, we were sitting on the couch when my husband picked the book up. He dragged his thumb across the side of the book, stopped on a random page, then opened the book and looked down. It had landed on the "H" section.The first name he read on the top left was "Harley." Harley is a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-has-gender-neutral-name-has-mixed-feelings-about-it-2023-2">gender-neutral name</a> (we kept the baby's sex a surprise) of British origin. It's derived from the Old English words hara, meaning "hare," and leah, meaning "meadow." My husband and I had recently moved back to Australia from London, and I liked the idea of giving our child a name with a UK connection. I also liked the fact that you couldn't really shorten it to a nickname."Harley," I repeated back. "I love it."When our son was born a few months later, I took one look at him and knew the name fit. We called him Harley and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kids-maiden-name-middle-names-family-legacy-2024-3">gave him the middle name</a> Samuel, after my husband. He's the only Harley at his school, and the name suits him to a tee.<h2 id="0285788b-56c4-4b53-9fad-faab2be5fb36">For our first daughter, I got a sign while sitting on a beach</h2>When I got pregnant with our second child three years later, I was so tempted to find out the sex. I was grateful for our son, but I was also absolutely desperate to have a girl. During an antenatal scan, I actually asked our sonographer to write down the sex on a piece of paper and put it in a sealed envelope. But we never opened it. Deep down, I felt it would be peaking at one of life's greatest surprises. And so, we waited patiently.Toward the end of the pregnancy, I was on the beach talking to my tummy, asking the baby whether it was a boy or a girl. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting across Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, where we lived at the time.By then, my husband and I had narrowed down our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-have-common-names-gave-our-child-less-popular-one-2024-6">potential girl's names</a>, and "Isla" was at the top of the list. To help us come up with the list, we'd installed a baby-naming app on both of our phones, whereby you both swipe names you like and get alerts when you match on a name. We both liked Isla, which was gaining popularity around that time. Pronounced "eye-la," I'd always thought the name sounded so pretty and gentle on the tongue.Just as I asked the question and rubbed my bump, a mom nearby called out to her daughter, "Isla, Isla, there you are, I found you!" I knew right then that I would be having a girl and that her name would be Isla.What's even weirder is that when Isla was born, my husband wanted to call her Isla Kathleen after my mother, Linda Kathleen. The name Kathleen had been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kids-names-relatives-legacy-tradition-2024-4">passed down four generations</a> on my side of the family, starting with my great-grandmother Ethel Kathleen Conway and ending with my sister, Samantha Kathleen Townsend. I was hesitant, but he wanted to carry on the family tradition. In the hospital, one of the nurses asked what the baby's name was, and we said, "Isla."She replied, "Oh, that's so pretty. My friend has just called her daughter Isla Kathleen." If I ever had any doubt about my strange belief in signs and cosmic happenstance, they were obliterated at that moment. Isla Kathleen, it was.<h2 id="3a5d7ce1-40fd-4f39-b683-4a9960d86099">Our first daughter helped with our second daughter</h2>When I was 37, I got pregnant with our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/older-parents-surprise-pregnancy-excited-2024-6">third child unexpectedly</a>. I'd always loved the name Lily, and one night, I was in the bath with my daughter Isla when I asked her what we should call the baby. "Lily," she said, in her sweet little voice and without hesitation. "I think Lily would be the perfect name for her."I smiled and nodded, and when she arrived a few months later, I couldn't agree more. We called her Lily Christina, after my mother-in-law, Betty Christina.For me, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-name-trends-2024-girls-boys-nameberry-2024-7">choosing my babies' names</a> was one of the highlights of being pregnant. But with so many options, making a decision did feel overwhelming at times. A name is an enduring part of your child's identity that they will (likely) carry forever, so you want to get it right. Luckily, I feel like the universe helped me with the process, and all of our children's names suit them perfectly.

My husband and I waited for a sign before choosing names for our kids. Each time, we ended up with the perfect name.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US is recovering from a physician shortage and worker numbers remain below pre-pandemic trends.</li><li>Small businesses are seeing labor growth this year, but hospitals still have staffing shortages.</li></ul>The US may be recovering from a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-primary-care-physician-shortage-solutions-2018-9">physician shortage</a>, but don't expect to spend less time in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-wealthy-investors-got-rich-looting-needy-hospitals-healthcare-system-2024-3">hospital waiting rooms</a> this year.Healthcare worker numbers are steadily growing but remain below pre-pandemic trends, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://institute.bankofamerica.com/content/dam/bank-of-america-institute/economic-insights/sector-morsel-healthcare-hiring.pdf">Bank of America report </a>published in April. The bank's data and analysis firm, The Bank of America Institute, based findings on internal workforce data collected between 2019 and 2024.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/ces/">US Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> data shows that the healthcare sector is 1.6% behind on growth based on pre-pandemic projections. Outpatient care centers are 9.4% behind on growth, while the hospital labor force has seen small gains at 0.3%.One of the reasons job growth has been behind, according to the Bank of America report, is that workers in the healthcare sector have also seen "soft wage growth" in recent years. Additionally, the report found many employees are still underpaid because they tend to interact more with clients and work more labor-intensive hours than employees in other industries.Between April 2022 and April 2023 — the most recent available data — the national median time patients spent in the emergency department <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/apyc-v239">was 162 minutes</a>, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the same period between 2020 and 2021, CMS found that time was 149 minutes.The pandemic worsened an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/america-has-a-shortage-of-primary-care-doctors-2015-10">already growing</a> problem, as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/charts-unemployment-labor-market-in-2020-pandemic-2020-12">unemployment rates jumped</a>, more people <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-how-urgent-care-centers-are-treating-covid-19-2020-3">needed urgent medical care</a>, and reports of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/9-ways-to-overcome-burnout-from-doctor-who-experience-it-2023-7">doctor and nurse burnout</a> skyrocketed. In fact, healthcare workers made up a significant portion of the people leaving their jobs during the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-resignation-still-going-layoffs-low-job-openings-quits-high-2022-11">Great Resignation</a>.Ambulatory care — which includes all appointments and treatments that don't require hospital admission — makes up half of all jobs in the healthcare sector, Bank of America found. Hospitals employ just over 30% of healthcare workers while under 20% of employees work at nursing and residential care facilities.<a target="_blank" href="https://data.bls.gov/PDQWeb/ce">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> data shows that the healthcare sector employed about 10% of total US workers last year, a share of the labor force that has remained consistent for the past decade.This ongoing shortage comes as Americans worry about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/does-medical-debt-affect-credit-score#:~:text=Medical%20debt%20frequently%20asked%20questions,-Is%20medical%20debt&amp;text=Medical%20debt%20under%20a%20year%20old%20or%20under%20%24500%20should,inaccuracy%20with%20the%20credit%20bureaus.">medical debt</a>, the rising <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insulin-price-cap-costs-diabetes-supplies-pump-monitor-tiktok-2024-2">price of prescription drugs</a>, and the staggering costs of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-surgeon-general-medical-bill-shows-broken-healthcare-system-2024-2#:~:text=Former%20US%20Surgeon%20General%20Jerome,high%20costs%20and%20no%20transparency.">emergency medical care</a>. Per KFF (formerly known as Kaiser Family Foundation), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-costs-lead-financial-worries-voting-presidential-election-biden-trump-2024-2">three in four </a>US adults say that healthcare is one of their top financial concerns.<h2>Patients will still see labor shortages in ERs and care facilities</h2>Despite labor gains, patients could still experience the impacts of the physician shortage. The US is expected to face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 people by 2036, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aamc.org/news/press-releases/new-aamc-report-shows-continuing-projected-physician-shortage">American Hospital Association</a>.The Bank of America report found that small businesses, defined as healthcare offices with fewer than 20 employees, are seeing the strongest rebound growth. For patients, this might result in more available appointments with specialists and private practice doctors.Many small businesses hired more full-time healthcare workers instead of temporary contractors in February 2024 compared to February 2023, according to Bank of America.Still, patients will likely still feel the consequences of labor gaps when they visit the hospitals and long-term care facilitates.Longer ER stays, for example, are an indicator that hospitals are "<a target="_blank" href="https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/topics/hospitals/timely-effective-care">understaffed or overcrowded</a>," according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.There has also slower labor recovery at long-term care facilities. This could lead to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-shortage-schools-nurses-daycare-costs-inflation-rate-retail-workers-2023-10">longer patient waitlists </a>for residential care.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/what-are-the-recent-trends-health-sector-employment/#Percent%20difference%20in%20February%202024%20health%20employment%20by%20setting,%20actual%20vs.%20projected%20(based%20on%20pre-pandemic%20growth%20rates)">report</a> published in March from the nonprofit Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF shows that the number of people in skilled nursing jobs, retirement care jobs, and roles that provide care for people with developmental disabilities are still below pre-pandemic levels.<h2>Burnout and low pay mean slow jobs recovery</h2>The Bank of America report suggests that a lack of wage growth could be contributing to doctor and nurse shortages. Healthcare workers have labor-intensive jobs, and low pay could be making it more difficult for hospitals and care facilities to attract employees, the report found.Average wages for healthcare workers have increased overall since the beginning of the pandemic, but KFF said this could be because fewer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8067982/">low-wage</a> workers are employed in industry.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10266848/">2023 National Institute of Health study</a> found that inadequate pay is the most frequently cited reason employees give for burnout and leaving medicine.Despite the slow gains, the Bank of America's report said it's a good sign that healthcare facilities appear to be hiring more full-time workers in 2024."Our finding that contract payments are easing indicates that firms may be under less pressure from labor shortages," the report said. "This could imply normalizing employment growth ahead."Are you a healthcare worker experiencing burnout? Are you a patient who has experienced long wait times because of hospital staffing shortages? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:allisonkelly@insider.com">allisonkelly@insider.com</a>.

Hospital wait times will still be bad this year, even with labor gains

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I waited for seven hours to try <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/franklin-barbecue-austin-texas-review-what-to-order-2021-11">Franklin Barbecue</a>, considered the best barbecue in Texas by many.</li><li>In line, I met other tourists and was even interviewed by a local paper.</li></ul>Texas is renowned for its barbecue. One of the most famous places to get it is Franklin Barbecue in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaving-austin-texas-for-suburbs-changed-culture-big-business-2024-9">Austin</a>, where people wait in line for hours to order.Established in 2009, Franklin Barbecue has made quite a name for itself in the past few years. It's regularly recommended in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/best-of/the-best-bbq-spots-in-texas-michelin-guide">Michelin Guides</a>, and publications from Texas Monthly to Bon Appetit have listed it among the best barbecue in Texas (and even the country). <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://austin.eater.com/2012/4/9/6597655/bourdain-deems-franklin-brisket-finest-ive-ever-had">Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain</a> even called the restaurant's brisket the "best" and "finest" he's ever had in 2012.As someone who loves <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-comparing-terry-blacks-and-franklin-barbecue-2024-4">Texan barbecue</a>, I'd always wanted to try it.Eventually, I got a group together to see if this spot was really worth the hype. We arrived at about 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and there was already a queue of about 80 people.<h2 id="76f46316-96f5-4c80-8b1d-b5ded56e12ce">We got to know the others waiting in line</h2><div type="image" title="People sitting in chairs waiting in line at Franklin Barbeque in Austin." height="1836" width="2448" msid="115388538" hostid="261" sizebytes="415696"></div>The restaurant is in a pretty unassuming turquoise-and-white building, but we immediately noticed the crowds outside of it.Most people in the queue came prepared with chairs and coolers full of drinks. Although we didn't have chairs, we did bring some beer.However, 7 a.m. felt a little too early to start drinking, so I had coffee first.We started chatting with others in the line and discovered that most were not from Austin and had traveled from other states. We even spoke to a few international visitors.Overall, the atmosphere was very friendly, and it felt like we were tailgating before a big <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-sporting-events-across-the-globe-according-to-frequent-traveler-2024-9">sports game</a>.<h2 id="491f853f-36ad-448b-8de0-91ba3f3976ec">The back of the line was told there may not be enough food for them</h2>After a couple of hours, when the queue had grown to a few hundred, a staff member came out to take orders.These were not official orders, but the staff member wanted to try to check if there'd be enough of each order to cater to everyone in the queue.Since there was a chance of demand exceeding supply, they advised people at the end of the queue to go home and not risk wasting their time. Thankfully, we were well within the cutoff limit and didn't need to worry about the food running out before we ordered.<h2 id="75dce06e-48b5-4509-b331-86569a39fe52">The samples we received left me wanting more</h2>We could smell the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-is-texas-roadhouse-worth-it-date-night-2023-11">delicious meat</a> since the smokers were very close to the line, which made us even more eager to eat.Around 10:30 a.m., another employee came to hand out some small samples.Although the portion sizes were smaller than a bite, the piece I tried had me salivating. My stomach was rumbling, but I knew we still had a few hours left of waiting.At one point, a local reporter started asking a few of us why we were in line.A reporter from the University of Texas paper came to ask some tourists why they were there. As an Australian, I was one of the people interviewed. I joked I'd flown from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-people-make-visiting-australia-first-time-from-local-2024-7">Down Under</a> for lunch just to fly home after eating — and they seemed to believe me.At this point, I was getting delirious from the hunger.<div type="image" title="A sign that reads &quot;Franklin smoked porter&quot; on a painting of a man and a woman standing in front of a bus." height="1836" width="2448" msid="115388533" hostid="261" sizebytes="151680"></div>The doors finally opened at 11 a.m., and the queue began to move very slowly. Time moved even slower as I watched satisfied customers exit the restaurant.I became impatient as we inched forward. Finally, around 1 p.m., we entered the restaurant and soon got to place our orders.<h2 id="82f86175-56cb-4c17-b9e7-40b9f5171807">At last, we received our food after almost seven hours of waiting</h2><div type="image" title="A plate of Texan barbecue food from Franklin in Austin." height="2448" width="3264" msid="115388536" hostid="261" sizebytes="214022"></div>Once we made it inside, I was so hungry that I wanted to order several pounds of food, but I contained myself.Finally, after almost seven hours, we sat down with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-is-texas-de-brazil-steak-house-worth-it-adults-2024-3">plates full of meat</a> and sides like coleslaw and pickles. The brisket melted in my mouth and no knife was required for the tender meat. I felt like I was in food heaven.<h2 id="222ad3cb-4344-49b1-a496-f5ead0e19990">The long wait was worth it</h2><div type="image" title="Ash and friends inside Franklin Barbeque with food in Austin." height="2448" width="3264" msid="115388539" hostid="261" sizebytes="373240"></div>After finishing our meal, we saw the owner and pitmaster, Aaron Franklin, emerge from the kitchen. We complimented him on his food and staff and told him that the experience was well worth the long wait.I've tried many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-comparing-terry-blacks-and-franklin-barbecue-2024-4">barbecue places in Texas</a>, but this was the best I've had. Customers can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://preorder.franklinbbq.com/information">order Franklin Barbecue online</a> to avoid this wait, but you must do so days in advance during a specific window and order at least 5 pounds. Still, I think everyone should try the queue experience once since it makes for a fun day and an interesting story — plus, you get delicious barbecue at the end of the wait.

I'm an Aussie who spent 7 hours in line to try some of the best barbecue in Texas. The wait was well worth it. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Fed should not keep waiting to cut rates, Mohamed El-Erian wrote in the Financial Times.</li><li>He said such a delay could eventually prompt an aggressive cutting cycle, increasing recession risk.</li></ul>The Federal Reserve's holdup in cutting interest rates may be putting the US economy in jeopardy, Mohamed El-Erian wrote in an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/40301e87-ca39-4b60-a9f2-88633e5f8ea7">op-ed for the Financial Times</a>.Getting to the first rate cut sooner than later is necessary if the central bank wants to minimize recession risk, the famed economist said. But instead, the Fed has kept insisting on delaying, raising the odds that it will have to pursue a much more aggressive cutting cycle down the road."If, this time around, the Fed is forced into a large cutting cycle due to a delayed start and accelerating economic and financial weaknesses, it would also have to end up cutting by more than necessary based on longer-term conditions," El-Erian warned.This is similar to the Fed's policy mistake in 2021, when officials held back on raising rates as post-pandemic inflation ballooned. However, their argument that inflation was "transitory" proved incorrect, and rates were tightened sharply.In El-Erian's telling, the policy overshoot "exposed pockets of financial vulnerability and, internationally, the policy challenges facing many other countries."This time around, Fed officials want to see more disinflationary data before lowering rates. Cutting too soon, the argument goes, could allow inflation to rebound; against a slowing economy, this could mean a <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stagflation-outlook-us-inflation-growth-stock-investing-bofa-real-estate-2024-5?_gl=1*m3ftil*_ga*MTMxNDIwNDI1Ni4xNjc1Njg3OTU4*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcxODcxOTUxNy4zMzguMS4xNzE4NzE5ODYwLjU4LjAuMA..">stagflationary spiral</a>.But El-Erian has consistently called out the bank's overdependence on data, and noted that the higher-for-longer rate regime is creating and deepening vulnerabilities in the economy. Included are eroded balance sheets among consumers and small business, alongside climbing household debt.Earlier this month, he said the Fed's plan to cut just once in December was too late, and could cause the economy to slow more than it should. El-Erian sees recession risk at 35%."In my opinion, 'too late' is what was reflected in yesterday's SEP or dot plot," he said, referencing the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections. "By that time, the lagged effects of what was a significant increase in rates would be biting even more."

The Fed could tip the US into recession if it waits too long to cut rates, Mohamed El-Erian says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23944870" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonya-Moore" source="keywords">Sonya Moore</keyword> decided that if Trump won in 2016, she would leave the US.</li><li>She followed through and has been living abroad for seven years.</li></ul>"If Trump wins this election, I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-reelected-americans-are-planning-to-flee-in-droves-2024-3">moving out of the country</a>." I said those words in November 2016. So did a lot of other Americans: so many, in fact, that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canadian-immigration-site-crash-election-2016-11">Canada's immigration website crashed</a> as votes were being tallied due to increased traffic. No joke. I don't know how many others <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-who-left-us-because-of-trump-talk-biden-presidency-2020-12">followed through on that declaration</a>, but I did. Trump won the election, and 9 months later, I left the US. Full disclosure: Trump becoming president was not the only reason I left — it was also about being fed up with my corporate job, coupled with a strong desire to explore the world. I was 37, single, with no children or pets, so I was free to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-mom-quit-job-expat-move-abroad-qatar-singapore-2023-12">quit my job</a>, uproot myself, and take off. I did own a house at the time, which I sold a few months after I left. Upon my departure, I didn't have much of a plan other than the intention to spend some time slowly exploring Asia and teaching English when I needed to make money. This no-plan thing was out of character for me, but I was very comfortable with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southeast-asia-travel-mistakes-packing-weather-clothing-traditions-medicine-2024-4">solo international travel</a>, thanks to previous study abroad experiences and 14 years of intensive overseas work-related travel. <div type="image" title="Sonya Moore in Siem Reap, Cambodia" height="1280" width="1600" msid="115071450" hostid="261"></div><h2>The move opened a new chapter in my life</h2>As months unfolded, I discovered that when you leave space for it, life guides you to the places, people, and opportunities that are meant for you. Seven years later, I'm still living <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-couldnt-afford-retirement-in-california-moved-abroad-travel-happy-2024-10">happily outside the US</a>. While my decision to leave opened up a horizon of experiences beyond my wildest dreams and led me to the man of my dreams, it hasn't all been a bed of roses. The first year, I lived off savings while traveling slowly through Asia. I started my travels in India, where I spent 10 days at a silent meditation retreat, attended teachings by the Dalai Lama, and took a <keyword id="20626363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoga-teacher-training" source="keywords">yoga teacher training</keyword>. I promptly got hooked on teaching yoga. After four months in India, I continued <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-pack-traveling-in-southeast-asia-singapore-thailand-bali-2023-9">making my way through Asia</a> for eight more months. I swam in the crystal clear waters of the Maldives, visited healers in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-family-kids-bali-decompress-relocate-slow-life-work-remote-2024-10">Bali</a>, witnessed breathtaking sunrise views from mountaintops in Laos, went island-hopped through the Philippines, rode motorbikes around Thailand's islands, and discovered ancient pagodas in Myanmar The cost of living in much of Asia is so low that savings can stretch a long way. I have high standards for my accommodations, and while traveling, I usually spent around $20 to $25 per night on hotels. Lower-maintenance friends of mine found simpler places for $6 per night in India. Meals usually cost around $3. After six weeks in India, I considered a lunch bill of $5 to be expensive. <h2>There have been times along the way when I've felt lost </h2>From time to time, I experienced stretches of feeling <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relocation-moved-to-milan-living-abroad-emotionally-exhausting-unspoken-truths-2023-9">unsettled and lacking a sense of purpose</a>. Over the years, I learned that those periods of doubt and uncertainty will continue to surface. But I also learned to just keep trusting, and the way forward would eventually reveal itself. People often ask me if I was ever afraid while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-women-need-to-know-traveling-solo-southeast-asia-tips-2022-12">traveling alone through Asia</a>. I never was — except a couple of times in India when riding on some precariously high Himalayan roads with no guardrails. But of people? I never had a reason to be. After a year away, I found an opportunity to teach yoga in a small mountain town in Myanmar. Life there was quiet, simple, and beautiful. I lived there for 9 months, and I was profoundly happy most of the time. But there were times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/loneliness-how-to-make-friends-remote-worker-freelancer-new-city-2024-2">I felt lonely</a>. The locals were sweet and kind, with love in their eyes and actions, but I missed friends who spoke my language fluently, with whom I could have deep conversations over a glass of wine. And the dating scene? Nonexistent. <div type="image" title="Sonya Moore kissing a man at the airport" height="2118" width="1754" msid="115071453" hostid="261"></div><h2>I found love during my travels</h2>Another yoga teaching opportunity took me to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is not a big city, but after my small-town Myanmar life, it felt like Manhattan. There were so many restaurants, bars, social events, friends, and even some attractive single men. I fell in love with the town, the quality of life, and the locals. It was easy to get a tourist or work visa to live here long term, and it was almost as inexpensive as India and Myanmar. I was living in Siem Reap when COVID-19 hit. By that time, I was in a <keyword id="20752574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="long-distance-relationship" source="keywords">long-distance relationship</keyword> with a French man I met during my travels. After the closed borders of the pandemic kept us apart for 7 months, I moved to France to be with him. Our story was long and winding, but it felt like destiny. He <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-partner-couple-travel-together-full-time-one-date-2024-5">loves global travel</a> like I do. We've been together for four years and are living together in Papua New Guinea. Our plan is to go back to a nomadic slow-travel lifestyle. My career has gradually evolved to encompass creative pursuits that light me up inside: retreats, writing, photography, and yoga. I am deeply grateful to my former self for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-abroad-cheap-low-cost-living-high-quality-life-2024-1">choosing to leave the US</a>. I sometimes miss family and friends, but thanks to technology, our connection stays alive across the distance, and I go back to visit once a year. I still love America and feel lucky to have been born and raised there. But there's a big world out there waiting to be discovered. Do you have a personal essay about relocating to Asia that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:akarplus@businessinsider.com">akarplus@businessinsider.com</a>. November 11, 2024 — An earlier version of this story mentioned Trump becoming president was not the reason Moore left, it was not the only reason.

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