Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Visitors and students walk in the University of Missouri campus in Columbus, Missouri in March 2024. Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News, file

Article (news)

Deutsche Welle

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748604608731Image (8).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Visitors and students walk in the University of Missouri campus in Columbus, Missouri in March 2024. Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News, file</div>The US State Department has put student visa processing on hold following orders from Secretary of State Marco Rubio — the latest in a series of measures by the Trump administration aimed at tightening immigration screening.The decision, which requires US diplomatic missions to pause interview appointments for new student and exchange visa applications, comes amid ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and higher-education institutions, in particular Harvard University.&quot;The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants,&quot; said the cable, first reported by Politico.The State Department&#x27;s approach is consistent with broader efforts to tighten screening of individuals entering the US.Since Donald Trump&#x27;s inauguration in January, the administration has implemented sweeping measures to detain and deport migrants, and to deny entry to some travelers — including tourists — prompting several countries to update their travel advisories.The move follows efforts by the government to identify and potentially arrest or deport students engaging in university campus activism, particularly protests against Israel&#x27;s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.Attempts by educational institutions to push back against the Trump administration&#x27;s measures have been met with grant freezes and funding cuts.In March, the US government revoked more than 300 visas, with Rubio saying students had engaged in &quot;activities that are counter to our national interest, to our foreign policy.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/29/harvard-graduation-overshadowed-by-trump-threats-1150">Harvard graduation overshadowed by Trump threats </a></div><div>International students are major economic drivers</div>More than 1.1 million international students came to the United States in the 2023-24 academic year, with students from India accounting for about 30% of arrivals and those from China around 25%.But it is also the major financial contribution that students make to the US economy that could potentially be impacted by the pause on interviews.According to NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, international students injected $43.8 billion (€42.8 billion) into the national economy in 2023-24.In a statement, NAFSA&#x27;s executive director and CEO Fanta Aw called the pause &quot;another misguided and deeply troubling attack against international students — adding to a long list that includes arrests, visa revocations, SEVIS [Student and Exchange Visitor Information System] terminations, and threatening their very ability to enroll in certain US institutions.&quot;Previous visa crackdowns left international students concerned employment or education opportunities in the US may no longer be worth the risk.Michael Clemens, a migration economist at George Mason University, in the US state of Virginia, said even a short-lived pause on student visa applications could have major knock-on effects across the country.&quot;The pause is tremendously damaging,&quot; Clemens told DW. &quot;[It] creates a climate of extreme uncertainty for students considering making the enormous investment to come study in the United States.&quot;&quot;In many states, the ... university system is either the largest employer, such as in the state of Alabama, or one of the largest.&quot;He warned that a decline in international student numbers could undercut the potential for new startup ventures and stifle American innovation.&quot;Fifteen percent of the high-growth, venture capital-financed startup companies in America — with all of the job creation, investment and technological change they foster — depend on foreign students,&quot; he said.A pause in student visas could also hit local economies hard. Whether providing summer employment or supporting local jobs and small business, Clemens is concerned the wider effort to reduce international student numbers will cripple small-town America.&quot;The lasting effects of losing America&#x27;s status — for generations now — as the top destination for the world&#x27;s talent will be felt in every corner of every rural and urban community in America. They are at the heart of dynamism and economic growth in the United States, and nobody will escape those consequences.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/28/trump-suggests-15-pct-cap-on-foreign-students-in-harvard-0758">Trump suggests 15 pct cap on foreign students in Harvard </a></div><div>Pause means uncertainty, loss of confidence in US education</div>Clemens&#x27; warning about the lasting impact on America&#x27;s standing as the top destination for higher education is already being felt.Rouham Manzoor, who studied in the US, is now the managing director of MACES, an educational consulting firm in Bangladesh that advises prospective students on study options around the world.&quot;I had a wonderful time there; I consider the US as where I found myself. I have a very strong affinity for US education, I think it&#x27;s one of the best in the world,&quot; Manzoor said. &quot;It&#x27;s heartbreaking to see this happening.&quot;&quot;Fewer numbers of students are now coming to us and saying, &#x27;Hey, I want to go to the US.&#x27; That number has gone down significantly, and with this, definitely many, many more students will shy away from applying to the US,&quot; he said.Others see uncertainty ahead for those deciding where to pursue their careers. Ashish Mailk is one of the millions of international students who benefited from studying in the US, having previously traveled there on a J-1 visa — typically issued to students visiting the US on exchange programs such as fellowships.Now a fellow at the University of Edinburgh, Malik told DW the move would leave many international students uncertain about what the US could offer them.&quot;If you think of those who are planning to come for studies or work, their future is at stake,&quot; he said.He added that the broader efforts of the Trump administration to cut back on research grants would also leave international students who rely on visas unsure of their longer-term prospects within the US.&quot;Many of my peers [and] colleagues aren&#x27;t sure if their grants will be extended,&quot; Malik said.For Clemens, as a professor working at a US university, he hopes the Trump administration reconsiders its policies before lasting damage is done to international education.&quot;The enormous trust of international students and top talent from across the world, in the United States, is in the process of being systematically shattered,&quot; he said. &quot;Until the US government starts trying to repair that trust, it would be hard for me to, in good conscience, advise students to continue to come to the United States. And that&#x27;s just indescribably sad for me.&quot;<div>RELATED VIDEO</div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rgb47ner2-w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

Even a short-term pause on new student visa interview appointments could have major economic consequences and leave many uncertain about pursuing studies or careers in the United States.

Even a short-term pause on new student visa interview appointments could have major economic consequences and leave many uncertain about pursuing studies or careers in the United States.

Visa application pause 'will be felt in every corner' of US

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Visa application pause 'will be felt in every corner' of US

Deutsche Welle,

Matthew Ward Agius

Published May 30, 2025 07:40 PM PHT

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United States

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