The United States has continued to issue an historically low number of student visas for this year. In truth, that number is almost one-fifth lower than the figure for the same month last year. Even more so for Indian students, who have accounted for an almost unimaginable 44.5 percent decline in visas. The lack of access is compounded for Iranian applicants, who are experiencing an 86 percent drop in visa approvals.
This decline comes as part of a larger, harsh restrictionist immigration agenda that was pushed by former-President Donald Trump. His administration has applied political pressure to U.S. universities by threatening to withdraw funding, adding another layer of complexity to the experience of international students. In June, Senator Marco Rubio issued a unilateral suspension of processing for all student visas. He wanted to introduce regular monitoring of students’ social media accounts. This decision has sent alarm bells ringing over what this means for future students.
Second, expansion of Trump’s immigration policies Some of the most harmful immigration policies have been in the news for their targeting of students from certain countries. At first, his plan was to ban most Chinese students from coming to study in the United States. He later shifted his stance, claiming, “We’re going to allow, it’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important,” referring to an ambitious plan to double the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S.
Strikingly, many of the other Muslim-majority countries have experienced huge drops of student visas over this time. Regulations are becoming more strict and received greater scrutiny at public universities targeting university students who participate in pro-Palestine activism. Pro-Israel groups are paying close attention to these activities.
In addition to enforcing stricter visa policies, Trump’s administration introduced new rules that universities must adhere to in order to qualify for federal funding. A U.S. judge has ruled that Trump violated the law by terminating research grants for Harvard University. This ruling is a prime example of the increasingly adversarial nature of federal government–university relations.
The implications of these changes are significant for aspiring international students, particularly those from India and Iran, as they navigate an increasingly hostile environment. This crackdown on international students signals a much bigger issue at play surrounding the negative effects of America’s immigration policies on academic diversity and planetary collaboration.
“Any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.” – U.S. administration document
The landscape for international education in the United States continues to shift under these policies, raising questions about the future of global academic exchange and the experiences of foreign students.
