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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
International students prepare for changes in visa requirements
In 2024, Florida welcomed nearly 45,000 international students. The state is seventh in the nation with the largest international student population. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a pause on visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, as it works on its social media vetting system. 'I'm looking forward to studying in the United States,' said Paula Castro, an international student who is still in Brazil working on the final details before her trip, scheduled for 2026. 'I think some people are scared about the new politics. I was a bit concerned because I knew it was going to be a little bit harder, but I'm following the law, so I'm doing everything right.' Just like Castro, hundreds of thousands of international students from all over the world choose the United States as a place to develop their academic careers. According to the U.S. State Department's Open Doors Report, for the 2023–2024 academic year, Florida hosted 44,767 international students, marking a 5.1% increase from the previous year. The University of Central Florida was among the top five schools in the state with the largest international student population. UCF enrolled approximately 3,196 international students, accounting for about 4.6% of its total student population. On top of higher education, a lot of the students come to the U.S. for language classes. At YOUSA Learning Institute, about 90% of the students come from different countries. Now, they are preparing for changes as the Department of State plans to roll out its new social media vetting process for new student visas. 'We offer English, yes, for international students {shorten pauses, please,' Elizabeth Martins, with YOUSA Learning Institute. 'Whatever needs to be done needs to be done, but obviously changes means impacts obviously.' In 2024, International students contributed approximately $1.5 billion to Florida's economy during this period, the U.S. State Department's Open Doors Report shows. The new vetting systems should, according to immigration experts, ensure those who apply for a student visa will come to the United States for the right reasons. 'A lot of people do abuse the immigration systems, and a lot of people do apply for a certain visa, like a student visa, but with an intent to permanently stay here, which is not the proper route,' said Andrea Bowers, an Orlando immigration attorney. 'However, I am not so sure that suspending these interviews is actually a measure of national security, as more it is a measure to limit people that are coming here with the supposed intention of study but actually wanting to permanently stay in the U.S.' The visa-requesting process takes several months, depending on where the petitioner is located around the world. The hosting school must submit a document – I-20 – confirming to the immigration department that the candidate is qualified to enroll in the program, whether it is a language proficiency, professional, or higher education program. With the acceptance letter from the school, the student then proceeds to the consulate and goes through the interview with an immigration representative to find out if their visa has been approved or declined. 'The benefit of adding the extra layer is to guarantee that the person's intentions are aligned with the visa that they're applying to,' Bowers said. 'My main concern is how long the suspension of the interview is going to be held in place because that is a hit not only to the U.S. Economy, because the students, they move over $150 billion a year, but also a hit to the U.S. as an attraction of foreign talent in their research centers and their universities.' Channel 9 reached out to Valencia College and UCF to ask about the possible impacts of the visa interview suspensions for them, but did not hear back. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Over 69,000 Indian students face deportation risk as US tightens OPT unemployment rules
A wave of uncertainty has swept across the international student community in the US as thousands of students on the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program have started receiving warning letters from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The letters threaten termination of their SEVIS records and potential deportation due to alleged violations of employment reporting rules. This enforcement action significantly impacts Indian students, who form the second-largest group of international students in the US. According to the Open Doors Report for the 2022-23 academic year, there were 270,000 Indian students in the US, with nearly 69,000 of them participating in the OPT program. These students now face the risk of losing their legal status due to administrative lapses in reporting employment details. Stricter OPT enforcement leads to legal consequences At the heart of the issue is the strict enforcement of existing OPT unemployment rules. OPT regulations allow international students to remain unemployed for up to 90 days during their 12-month OPT period. Those on a STEM-OPT extension are granted an additional 60 days. Students are required to update their employment status on the SEVIS portal within 10 days of any change, including a new job, job loss, or change in work location. As reported by the TNN, immigration attorney Snehal Batra of NPZ Law Group said, 'The recent ICE letters indicate that a student's SEVIS record will be terminated if there is no employer information listed. This means the student either failed to report the OPT job on time or exceeded the allowed unemployment period.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Batra added that, in the past, SEVIS records were not typically terminated automatically for such violations, but under the current administration's strict approach, students can fall out of status more easily. Letters mirror past policy under Trump-Pence administration The wording in the current ICE letters reportedly mirrors those issued in 2020 during the Trump-Pence administration. As per the TNN, experts note a visible uptick in the number of such letters now being sent, indicating renewed focus on enforcement under the Trump presidency. A sample letter viewed by the TNN states, 'Because there is no employer information in your SEVIS record, you are accumulating unemployment days and may have exceeded the permissible period of unemployment. ' The letter further warns students to correct their SEVIS records within 15 days or face immigration proceedings. Schools and DSOs under pressure Traditionally, compliance with SEVIS reporting was managed by the Designated School Officials (DSOs). However, as per immigration lawyer Jath Shao, quoted by the TNN, 'ICE has been going in and terminating people who have accumulated more than 90 days of unemployment.' He added that in some instances, the failure to update SEVIS was due to delays by DSOs, though US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reinstated student status once records were corrected. Advisories issued and guidance to students The NAFSA: Association of International Educators has issued a special advisory, urging DSOs to monitor 'Accrued unemployment days' alerts and to actively follow up with students nearing their unemployment limits. It also reminds students to promptly update employment details via the SEVIS portal or through their school DSO. Poovi Chothani, managing partner at LawQuest, advised, as reported by the TNN, that students nearing their limit should consider legal alternatives such as leaving the US, enrolling in a new program, or applying for a different visa status like B-2. Batra also recommended, 'Students should maintain written records of all employment, including employer name, job title, dates of work, hours, and supervisor details,' which could support future visa or status change applications, as noted by the TNN.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Pausing student visa interviews will increase uncertainty, create chaos, and deter global talent: US-based associations
US President Donald Trump The decision of the US Department of State (DOS) to pause visa interviews for international students, has invited flak from various associations. Marco Rubio, Secretary, DOS has recently ordered a pause on consulate appointments for student and exchange visitor visas (F, M and J visa categories). The move comes as the US government plans to expand social media checks for all student and exchange visitor visa applicants. Soon thereafter, a statement announced revocation of visas for Chinese students. 'Under President Trump's leadership, the US State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong,' it states. India and China are the main countries of origin of international students. According to the Open Doors Report, released last November, during the academic year 2023-24, there were 3.31 lakh Indian students in the US (constituting 29.4% of the total number of international students). This was followed by 2.77 lakh Chinese students (24.6% of the total number of international students). Responding to the pause on visa interviews, Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration said, 'The State Department's decision to pause visa interviews for international students during this crucial admissions period is deeply concerning. It will generate harmful delays and likely cause longer-term chaos. In the immediate term, it disrupts existing processes and creates great uncertainty for students and campuses. Alongside plans to expand the existing social media vetting and screening of all international student applicants, this decision continues a pattern of administrative actions, including the SEVIS student record terminations and visa revocations, that contradict America's national economic, academic, and global interests.' 'If unaddressed, this growing climate of fear, volatility, and uncertainty will weaken our nation's prosperity and competitiveness. Deterring students from choosing American colleges and universities costs us the valuable contributions of international students to campuses, communities and the economy, and threatens America's longstanding position as the world's premier destination for international talent. This is not about quotas, but about talent. A decline in new international enrolments will harm communities and regions across the country. International students fuel cutting-edge research and innovation and expose domestic students to ideas and approaches that prepare them to participate in the global economy. Every year, tuition revenues from international students support programs and funding streams that serve all students on our campuses,' she added. According to the Presidents' Alliance, in 2023–2024, international students contributed nearly $44 billion to the US economy and supported over 378,000 jobs, making international education the seventh-largest US service export. 'Stand up for international students' is a prominent post by On its website it stated that international students and graduates are critical to the STEM workforce and industries of the future. These students drive innovation by performing essential work in university labs and classrooms and contributing to American companies while working on optional practical training (OPT). Tens of thousands of international students are positioned to graduate with degrees related to key fields like AI and semiconductors each year. In addition, a quarter of the US billion-dollar startup companies were founded by a former international student who each created an average of 860 jobs. In total, 44% of these 'unicorn' startups were started by someone outside the US. The Association pointed out that if America loses its reputation as the premier destination for international student education, it is not a status that it will be able to easily recover.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Everything at stake' for Indian students as US pauses visa interviews amid social media vetting plan
This development is the latest in a series of crackdowns by the Trump administration on international students. Last week, the administration ordered a halt to the enrolment of new international students at Harvard University. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the move. A Delhi-based student, who has an interview at the US Embassy this week, called the reports 'a nightmare'. 'Everything is at stake at this moment. Although my interview is on so far, I do not know how things will proceed amid so much uncertainty,' the student said, speaking to ThePrint on condition of anonymity. New Delhi: Recent reports that the Donald Trump-led United States administration has asked embassies to 'pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants' are creating unease among thousands of Indian students set to join US universities this year. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a diplomatic cable Tuesday, asking embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new student visa interviews, Politico reported. The cable reportedly cited potential plans to require all foreign student applicants to undergo social media vetting. However, so far, there is no official order confirming the policy. During a press conference later in the evening Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson of the US Department of State, commented that the news reports on the decision likely came from 'leaked material'. However, Bruce emphasised, 'Every sovereign country has a right to know who is trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they have been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework determine what they will be doing while they are here.' If the Trump administration proceeds with the plan, student visa processing may face indefinite delays, potentially causing financial challenges for numerous universities that rely extensively on international students for funds. An Open Doors Report showed US institutes enrolled 3,31,602 Indian students in the 2023-24 academic year, making India the largest source of international students flocking to the US. Of the 1,126,690 international students in the US, 29.4 percent are Indian students. Another Indian student aiming for postgraduate studies at an Ivy League university this year also has an upcoming interview at the embassy. Mixed news is pouring in from his peers, giving him significant anxiety. 'A Bangladeshi student's visa was approved, but that is just one case. Everyone else has had their visas put on hold or rejected,' he said, requesting anonymity. He said that he has so far paid nearly $1,500 in application fees, college acceptance fees, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fees, and visa application fees. 'Besides, the tuition fee is nearly $101,200 per year, and I am yet to pay it,' the student said. 'All of it feels like a complete waste of time at this moment.' Students generally pay tuition fees after joining the university and, before that, the college acceptance fees. Also Read: IMF growth outlook is cautiously optimistic. It seems to leave out impact of larger disruptions in US Concerns over social media vetting The Politico report cites a cable stating, 'Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued via a 'septel', which we anticipate in the coming days.' The term 'septel' is state department shorthand for 'separate telegram'. The cable reportedly does not specify what future social media vetting would screen for. However, it references executive orders on checking terrorism and antisemitism, according to Politico. Students are very apprehensive about the upcoming social media vetting policy. A student at Harvard Kennedy School told ThePrint that a senior who returned to the US days ago had to pass a thorough vetting at the airport, including a search of his phone. 'Right now, we do not know which social media likes or comments will get you into trouble. The policy announcement is pending,' the student said during a phone interview, requesting anonymity. However, Shreya Mishra Reddy, an Indian student enrolled in a leadership development programme at Harvard Business School, stated in a post on LinkedIn that extensive social media screenings for all international students will become part of the process. 'Currently, the departments concerned are conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The freeze is a further escalation from current screening measures, which have primarily targeted students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests,' she said. Uncertainty despite long, rigorous admission According to consultants and students, the entire process of admission to a good college in the US may take years of hard work. Sakshi Mittal, the founder of the education consultancy University Leap, said that students work tirelessly for four years to secure admission to top universities. 'Parents and students invest heavily in SAT preparations, taking coaching classes, and participating in extracurricular activities. For many who finally achieved their dream, the hope of studying in the US feels uncertain now,' Mittal said. 'Some of our students have already secured visa interview slots and received their visas, but others on waitlists or recently admitted are extremely stressed. Many had not applied to alternative universities and are now rushing to apply last-minute to universities in the UK and other countries,' she added. 'On average, parents spend between Rs two crore and four crore for an undergraduate programme at a top U.S. university.' Mittal also advised some students to defer their admissions if the decision is irreversible, adding that she is hoping for a reversal of the decision soon. A student set to join a law course at a reputed US university described the visa process as lengthy. She explained that after a US college accepts a student, the student receives a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 to apply for an F-1 or a J-1 visa, respectively. Then, pay the SEVIS fee and complete the online DS-160 visa application form. Then, schedule a visa interview at the nearest US Embassy or Consulate and prepare all necessary documents. These include the passport, I-20 or DS-2019, DS-160 confirmation, SEVIS fee receipt, university admission and invitation letters, financial proof, and academic records. 'The visa appointment happens in two steps—first, the biometric, and then, the actual interview on a separate date. My biometrics are complete. I am anxious and uncertain about my interview scheduled for next week. But I believe that, as with all other decisions of the Trump administration, this will also be revoked, or reverted,' she said, requesting anonymity. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: US pushes for direct India-Pakistan talks, 'dealmaker' Trump ready to aid 'pursuit of peace'
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
US halts student visa interviews amid plans to vet online profiles
Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered US embassies worldwide to stop scheduling interviews for student visas as the Trump administration weighs stricter vetting of applicants' social-media profiles. The directive, laid out in a cable sent to diplomats worldwide on Tuesday, marks the latest effort by the administration to restrict foreign students' entry to American schools over claims that they might threaten US national security or promote antisemitism. The move raises the stakes of an ongoing battle between the White House and universities — one that initially centered on elite schools such as Harvard University and Columbia University over antisemitism — but that's morphed into a larger attack over the role of US higher education. David Leopold, a Cleveland-based immigration attorney, said the Trump administration's move could be 'cataclysmic, maybe even catastrophic' for both international students and the US universities that rely on them. 'The economic impacts and cultural impacts are massive,' Leopold said. Halting or even slowing visa applications would have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of students globally, and scores of educational institutions across the US, which have increasingly bolstered their ranks by attracting overseas talent. International students accounted for 5.9% of the total US higher education population of almost 19 million. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 1.1 million foreign students came to the US, with India sending the most, followed by China. Most international enrollees who come to the US study science, technology, engineering or mathematics. About 25% studied math and computer science, while nearly one in five opted for engineering. Foreign students also typically pay full tuition, offsetting costs that allow universities to provide more financial aid to US citizens. US schools with the most overseas students are New York University with more than 21,000 international students, Northeastern University and Columbia, according to the Open Doors Report, which is sponsored by the State Department. Vetting foreign students for visas is already a rigorous process, requiring applicants to prove strong academic credentials, financial means, ties to their own country and the intent to return home after graduation, according to Leopold. 'Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued,' Rubio wrote. He said that guidance is expected in the coming days. The State Department cable says interviews that have already been scheduled can go ahead. It was reported earlier by Politico. The Department of Homeland Security referred a request for comment to the State Department. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to comment on Rubio's order directly, saying nothing had been released publicly. 'Every sovereign country has a right to know who's trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they've been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework, determine what they will be doing while they're here,' Bruce said. 'So that's nothing new. And we will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise.' Rubio had foreshadowed further restrictions in March after plainclothes police arrested Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk outside her home. Öztürk, who helped write an op-ed supporting Palestinians, was later freed on bail as she fights possible deportation. 'If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus—we're not going to give you a visa,' Rubio said at the time. Last week on Fox Business, Kevin O'Leary, a Trump ally who has appeared on Shark Tank, recommended a vetting process for foreign students, while praising them for intellect and patriotism. 'These students are extraordinary individuals and they don't hate America,' he said. 'Why don't we vet them first, check their backgrounds, clear them, and tell them, 'You graduate Harvard, you're an engineer or whatever, you stay here and you start a business here and you'll get funded here and you'll create jobs here because that's why you came here in the first place.'' Tuesday's move on student visa interviews comes days after DHS sought to block Harvard from enrolling international students — an effort that was swiftly halted on a temporary basis by a federal judge. The administration is also moving to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard, which total about $100 million. A top lawyer at the Justice Department suggested on Tuesday that the Trump administration has more action coming, naming the University of California system as one that could expect 'massive lawsuits.' 'We're working on a full front of activity in the courtroom,' said Leo Terrell, a civil-rights attorney who leads the agency's antisemitism task force, in a Fox News interview. 'Trump is going nowhere. We are going to have to match them in court.' --With assistance from Janet Lorin, Alicia A. Caldwell and Eric Martin. (Updates throughout with details of order and additional background.) More stories like this are available on ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
