Latest news with #studentvisa
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
U.S. Risks $7 Billion Economic Hit As International Students Fall
The U.S. could lose as much as $7 billion in local economic activity this fall due to a steep fall in international student enrollments, according to a new analysis by NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International. In recent months, actions by the Trump administration have discouraged international students from pursuing study in the U.S., including heightened scrutiny of social media accounts, the implementation of travel bans and shifting visa policies. Data from the Department of Homeland Security's SEVIS system and the State Department point to a 30-40% fall in new international students, which could culminate in a 15% overall decline in international students for fall 2025. This shortfall could translate to more than 60,000 U.S. job losses, according to the report. 'This analysis, the first to calculate the potential economic impact of fewer international students on cities and towns across the country, should serve as a clarion call to the State Department that it must act to ensure international students and scholars are able to arrive on U.S. campuses this fall,' said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, in a press release. According to the NAFSA study, there are four main reasons why international students will decline in this manner: Unless student visa issuance rebounds quickly this summer, U.S. universities may have 150,000 fewer international students on their campuses this fall semester, according to the study. Colleges and universities have been preparing for a decline from the recent high of 1.12 million international students in this country—a number that includes both enrolled students and those on Optional Practical Training (OPT), the post-study work program. The Institute of International Education found that 40% of institutions expect a decline in international undergraduates, while 49% anticipate a drop in graduate student enrollment. Similarly, a NAFSA survey of around 150 member institutions showed that 78% expect declines in both undergraduate and graduate international student enrollment. According to calculations published by The Financial Times, a 10% drop in international student enrollment could cost U.S. colleges and universities $3 billion in revenue. Nearly a third of that—about $900 million—would come from lost tuition revenue. There have been Indian media reports of a potential 70% decline in Indian student enrollments at U.S. universities. In May, data from Studyportals, a global education search platform, indicated student interest in U.S. study was at its lowest point since pandemic, with more students considering alternatives like the U.K. and Australia.
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Academics call on Ottawa to speed up Palestinian student visas
OTTAWA — A group of Canadian academics is calling on the federal government to speed up approvals of student visas for Palestinians after two students who were accepted at a Canadian university died before they could leave the region. Ayman Oweida, chair of the Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk Network, said the two students, twin sisters, were killed in an airstrike in Gaza in December. The Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk Network is a volunteer group of Canadian academics that helps connect Palestinian students at the graduate level and above to research projects in Canada. But its work was set back by Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. The Canadian government has no diplomatic presence there — which means students in the enclave have no way to register biometric data with the government in order to complete their visa applications. The network says it has placed about 70 students in universities across the country, several with full scholarships. 'In addition to the two students that were killed, 15 students in Gaza who we've accepted have lost family members … direct family members, brothers, sisters, parents, and so on,' Oweida said. Oweida, who researches cancer treatment at the University of Sherbrooke, said one student who was supposed to work with him on a project has been stuck in Gaza for a year. He said the Canadian side of the network has reached out to MPs to try to resolve the issue, without success. 'I think the Canadian government has really an amazing opportunity here to step up its game and do something … to resolve this issue and bring these students home, home meaning Canada,' he said. One of the Canada-bound students still stranded in Gaza is Meera Falyouna, who is living near the Rafah border crossing. The 25-year-old masters student said she applied to the University of Regina while living in a tent with her family in December 2023. She was accepted to the industrial engineering program in April 2024 and submitted her Canadian student visa application in July 2024. Falyouna said she was supposed to start her studies last September. Because she's unable to provide the necessary biometric data for her visa application, she said, her file remains stuck in limbo even as she watches friends move on to study in places like France, Ireland and Italy. 'I don't want to be among the dead people. I want to be counted as dreamers, as future engineers, professors, doctors,' Falyouna told The Canadian Press. 'I want to be a person who has impact to Canada and also one day to return back to my country and help to rebuild the Palestinian academic system.' Matthew Krupovich, a spokesman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, said that biometrics can only be completed once someone leaves Gaza. He added that countries in the region, including Egypt and Israel, control their own entry and exit requirements at their borders. People coming to Canada from Gaza also have to undergo an additional security screening since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. 'As security screening is conducted by agencies outside IRCC, we are unable to provide average processing times. Each application is different and as a result, the time it takes to process may vary,' Krupovich said in an email response. 'All study permit applications from around the world are assessed equally and against the same criteria, regardless of the country of origin. Security screening is one, but not the only, factor that can result in higher processing times.' The Rafah border crossing into Egypt has been closed since May 2024. Falyouna said the rest of her family got to Egypt just five days before the border closed. Falyouna said she fears she and her fellow Palestinian students could lose their placements entirely. 'I'm receiving now a support from my professor. She pushed to accept my defer letter every time, but I'm still in risk to not be accepted next time because I already asked for a defer for my admission three times before,' she said. Aaron Shafer, an associate professor specializing in genomics at Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., said that a Palestinian student who was going to work with him has been trapped in Gaza for eight months. Shafer said he thinks the student has lost weight in the last eight months due to a dire shortage of food in Gaza. 'He probably weighed — just looking at photos, we've never met — 60 kilograms, but he's a small guy. And last week he said, 'We're happy because people are getting food. We haven't received any yet, but we're happy,'' Shafer said. Shafer said that about a third of the students who have been accepted by universities in Canada are already in Egypt but are still waiting for their visa applications to be processed. 'It's literally 70 students. And so that's what we're asking for, is to process the visas of 70 students that have positions in Canadian labs,' he said. For now, all Falyouna and the other students can do is wait and try to survive. 'I want to say to the Canadian government that we want to be treated as other students who came from at-risk situations from countries of the world like Ukraine and like Syria,' she said. 'We want to be to treated like them. We want to be treated fairly, we want to have the support they got. We just want to be alive to complete our dreams.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
Khaleej Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UAE students worried how social media presence could affect US college applications
Some UAE-based students planning to study in the United States are reassessing their social media presence after a recent policy update. As the US Embassy in the UAE announced recently, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'. These visa categories typically cover academic students, vocational students, and exchange visitors. The move is part of the United States' broader visa vetting policy and comes as the US government resumes student visa appointments with stricter review procedures. "I wasn't expecting this to be part of the application," said Noor Yassin, a high school graduate in Abu Dhabi who plans to attend university in New York this fall. "Now I'm going through all my profiles to make sure there's nothing that could be misunderstood." 'It's where I just post freely without overthinking. It's not something I've curated like a LinkedIn profile," she added. "Now I'm wondering if something harmless could be taken the wrong way.' Rami, a 19-year-old resident of Dubai who is applying to a university in California, said he was surprised by the rule, even though he doesn't believe his posts are an issue. "My Instagram has always been private. I don't post anything political or sensitive, but it still feels uncomfortable knowing someone might scroll through everything,' he said. After reading discussions online, he added that many are advising applicants not to hide or withhold any accounts, as failing to disclose an existing profile could raise red flags during the application process. 'I was thinking of making a separate account, but now I'm not sure if that would help or backfire," he said. Why the change? This requirement follows earlier decisions by US authorities to expand digital vetting tools, particularly during the Trump administration. At the time, US officials said the goal was to identify any applicant who may pose security risks or have expressed views seen as hostile to the United States. Under the updated guidance, students must list the usernames of their social media platforms as part of their visa application. Consular officers may review publicly available content before making a final decision on the visa. The rule is not specific to UAE residents and is part of a global approach to visa screening. Students adjusting Despite the added step, some said the policy would not stop them from applying to US universities. Many still see the US as offering top academic programmes, strong career opportunities, and a diverse student experience. However, the new social media requirement has led some to revisit their backup options. Some students said they are exploring alternative destinations such as Canada, Australia, or the Netherlands, where visa processes are perceived as more straightforward and less invasive. 'The US is still my top choice, but I'm also applying to universities in Europe, just in case things become more complicated,' said Mariam Al Shabi, a student in Sharjah. 'I just don't want to spend months preparing for something and then get rejected over something minor."
Times of Oman
03-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
US student visa applications have opened, says State Department official
Washington DC: US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mignon Houston on Wednesday (local time) stated that student visa applications for the United States are now open and encouraged students to apply, while underlining that all visa decisions are taken keeping US national security in mind. Speaking to ANI, Houston said, "Our student visa applications have opened, students can apply and submit their application but what we want students to understand when they're applying for that visa, we want them to understand that we want to see a use of that visa that is in line with their application and the students come to the United States and study and not obstruct students from studying in class, not to vandalize campuses." She added, "Every decision we make is a US national security decision. We have these policies with the US immigration law to ensure that we are holding the highest standard for US immigration... not only to protect US citizens but also the other students studying here..." US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mignon Houston also told ANI that India is an "essential partner" for Washington in the Indo-Pacific region, as talks continue for a bilateral trade agreement between the two nations. Speaking to ANI, Houston underlined the United States' aim of establishing a "fair and reciprocal" trade relationship with its partners, in line with the Trump administration's "America First" agenda. "We want trade that is fair and reciprocal. Working closely, India is an essential partner in the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. We expect that all our partners understand why this is so important to the 'America First' agenda, that we look for trade policies that have a fairness, reciprocal, balanced way to ensure that all parties benefit," Houston told ANI. She defended the Trump administration's decision to impose tariffs, saying unfair trade practices had harmed American farmers and industries. "I can say writ large as it relates to the United States' position that these tariffs are a way for countries to meet us at a place of fairness. The United States has an open economy, but there are unfair trade policies that have impacted US farmers and industries," she said. Talks between India and the US on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) are underway, with a July 9 deadline fast approaching. The deadline marks the end of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariff hikes. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that a trade deal between India and the United States was likely soon and promised reduced tariffs. "I think we are going to have a deal with India. And that is going to be a different kind of a deal. It is going to be a deal where we are able to go in and compete. Right now, India does not accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, and if they do that, we are going to have a deal for much less tariffs," Trump said. Meanwhile, India has taken a firmer stand on agricultural issues as the negotiations continue. According to government sources, India's negotiating team, led by Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, has extended its stay in Washington. The trade talks were initially scheduled for Thursday and Friday but were extended as both sides work to finalise an interim agreement before the July 9 deadline. A senior official warned that failure to reach an agreement would result in the return of a 26 per cent tariff structure that had been temporarily suspended for 90 days. These tariffs were first imposed during the Trump administration on April 2. "The failure of these trade discussions would trigger the immediate reimplementation of the 26 per cent tariff structure," the official said.
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Make foreign students pay £10k deposit so they don't claim asylum'
Foreign students should be made to pay an upfront £10,000 surety to prevent them claiming asylum, a think tank has urged. Policy Exchange said there was increasing evidence that overseas students were using their study visa as a back door to long-term work or settlement in the UK, including through claiming asylum. Home Office figures showed that 16,000 of those who claimed asylum in 2024 had arrived in the UK on a student visa, nearly one in six (15 per cent) of all asylum claims, according to the think tank's report. It suggested that foreign students could be required to provide a £10,000 surety that they would comply with the conditions of their visa and leave on completion of their studies. The report said the aim would be to prevent over-staying and abuse of student working rights. The deposit would be forfeited if they breached the terms of their visa or if they made an asylum claim which was denied. Prospective international students could also be required to undertake a commitment not to seek asylum whilst in the UK on a student visa. This would enable the Government to make the case that they have entered on a false promise in violation of immigration law if they then did so. In a foreword to the report, author David Goodhart said the university sector had become a 'backdoor for unprecedented levels of migration that is neither beneficial, short term nor controlled'. 'What must cease is the marketing of our universities as a backdoor to long-term migration. The failure to address this has meant we have welcomed far too many who have been incentivised to come here for the wrong reasons,' he said. 'Restoring control to the international student regime would serve as a vital first step to addressing popular disillusionment with both the UK's immigration system and its higher education sector.' Research by Policy Exchange found 43 per cent of all non-travel visas last year were issued to international students and their dependents – with those using the graduate route increasingly studying short postgraduate taught courses at low ranked universities. Of those arriving on student visas, 40 per cent transferred to a different visa within 12 months in 2023 – up from just three per cent in 2019. The number of individuals transferring directly from study visas to health and care worker visas rose by 560 per cent between 2022 and 2023. Warning system The report recommended that the graduate visa route should be ended for all students other than those on postgraduate research degrees. It said the English standards required for incoming students should be raised. Students from European Union member states should not be granted access to domestic fee rates or the student loan book, it said. And universities should be required to collect new data on the work undertaken by international students and their impact on the student experiences of domestic students. Labour's white paper proposed limiting the graduate visa from two years to 18 months and consideration of a six per cent 'levy' on the £12 billion-a-year fee income that universities generate from overseas students. It said the money would be reinvested in the 'higher education and skills system' as part of proposals to boost training of domestic workers to reduce reliance on foreign staff. To prevent the misuse of student visas, universities will now be required to ensure at least 90 per cent of foreign students complete their courses and at least 95 per cent turn up for them. A new red-amber-green warning system will tell the public how universities are performing in achieving compliance.
