Latest news with #visas
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels US show, saying their visas were suspended by Trump administration
MEXICO CITY — The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Many international students hope to launch careers in the US. Their pathways may dim under Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Since coming from China as a teenager for boarding school, Bob Zeng has imagined building a career in the United States. But as he prepared to graduate Thursday from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it felt like the last chapter of his life in America. Zeng said he has been rethinking his plans because of the Trump administration's pledge to aggressively revoke the visas of Chinese students. Having completed a masters degree in science and management, he is thinking about moving to Europe. Or going home to China. 'I am worried about working here,' said Zeng, 30. 'You never know what's going to happen.' Many international students come to the U.S. with hopes of gaining work experience and returning to their home countries or pursuing a career in the U.S. But the administration's intensifying scrutiny of international students — and signs that formal career pathways for them may be closed — are leading some to reconsider their plans. Beyond the steps the administration already has taken — expanding the grounds for terminating students' ability to study in the U.S., adding new vetting for student visas, moving to block foreign enrollment at Harvard — a key nominee has raised the possibility of ending a program that encourages international students to stay and gain work experience. About 240,000 of the 1.1 million people on student visas in the U.S. are on Optional Practical Training — a one-year post-graduation period where they are authorized to work in fields related to their degrees. It can last up to three years for graduates in science, math and technology fields. President Donald Trump's nominee for director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said during his confirmation hearing on May 21 that he would like to see an end to post-graduate work authorization for international students. 'What I want to see would be essentially a regulatory and sub-regulatory program that would allow us to remove the ability for employment authorizations for F-1 students beyond the time that they are in school,' said Edlow, referring to the F-1 visas on which most international students attend college in the U.S. A program offers international students a foothold for careers in the US The opportunity to gain career experience at U.S. companies, especially in technology and other fields where American companies dominate, has long been a draw of studying here. Many enter the H-1B visa lottery, hoping to be selected for one of the employer-sponsored visas that offer a pathway to permanent residency in the United States. Threatening practical training opportunities would have long-term consequences for the U.S. in attracting international students, said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, which represents international educators. 'We turn global talent away at our own expense,' Aw said. Like many international students, Marko, 29, finds himself glued to the news with a growing sense of alarm. His Optional Practical Training expires in a month, and he has applied for an extension but hasn't heard back, leaving him in limbo. Lawyers for the tech company where he works in New York City advised him to carry proof of his legal status in his wallet, which he finds 'dehumanizing.' 'The message being sent now is that: You are not one of us, and we are going to get rid of you,' said Marko, who asked that only his first name be used because he is worried about being targeted for removal from the country. He has lived in the U.S. for a decade spanning college and graduate school, but his family and friends back home have encouraged him to leave. His hope is that he gets the OPT extension and can then apply for an H-1B visa and continue his life in the U.S., but he also worries about anti-immigrant sentiment and who will be targeted next. Foreign students have been targeted on several fronts In his first administration, Trump floated the idea of curtailing OPT, but that did not materialize. During the campaign, he suggested he would give green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges, a sentiment that students and educators hoped would signal more welcoming policies for international talent. But since taking office his administration has cracked down on international students in several ways. In April, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began terminating the legal status of people with student visas who appeared in a database of police encounters. Many caught up in that effort were on OPT, and had to leave their jobs or risk violating laws about working without legal authorization. ICE eventually restored students' status after widespread legal challenges, but not before some chose to leave the country pre-emptively, fearing deportation. In mid-May, some recent graduates received letters threatening to terminate their status if they did not update their employment records. While the letters gave them an opportunity to fix any reporting issues, it sent another wave of uncertainty through international graduates. This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the government would move to revoke visas of Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in 'critical' fields. Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang, a Chinese student who graduated Thursday from Harvard University, said in an interview that she had hoped to stay in the U.S. for a few years but she has been unsettled by the Trump administration's crackdown on visas. 'In terms of the plan going forward, I would say everything is up in the air at this point,' said Jiang, who is now open to going anywhere in the world to work in international development. 'At this point, it's difficult to say what will happen.' ___ Gecker reported from San Francisco. Toness and Associated Press writer Michael Casey contributed from Cambridge, Massachusetts. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
From students to tech: How US-China ties are sliding despite tariff truce
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's salvo against Chinese students, promising to 'aggressively revoke' their visas, is the latest move in heightening tensions between the world's two largest economies. Despite a temporary tariff truce reached between them earlier this month, divisions between Washington and Beijing remain wide, with recent ruptures over higher education, artificial intelligence (AI) chips and rare earth minerals. Here's all we know about how relations between China and the United States are worsening despite diplomatic efforts. A US-China trade spat escalated after Trump's administration raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent earlier this year, with cumulative US duties on some Chinese goods reaching a staggering 245 percent. China retaliated with 125 percent tariffs of its own on US goods. Under an agreement reached on May 12 following two days of trade talks in Geneva, tariffs on both sides were dropped by 115 percentage points for 90 days, during which time negotiators hope to secure a longer-term agreement. For now, the US has maintained a 30 percent tariff on all Chinese goods while Beijing has a 10 percent levy on US products. In the weeks since the temporary reprieve, however, Washington and Beijing appear to have had only limited discussions. On Thursday, US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that trade talks between the US and China are 'a bit stalled', and may need to be reinvigorated by a call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In the meantime, the Trump administration has announced new, strict visa controls on Chinese university students and told US companies to stop selling their advanced chip software used to design semiconductors to Chinese groups. On Wednesday, Rubio announced that the US will 'aggressively revoke' the visas of Chinese students studying in the country. He also pledged to ramp up scrutiny of new visa applicants from China and Hong Kong. The Trump administration's decision to carry out deportations and to revoke student visas is part of wide-ranging efforts to fulfil its hardline immigration agenda. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the US, behind India. Chinese students made up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the US during the 2023-2024 academic year – more than 270,000 in total. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised the decision to revoke visas, saying it 'damaged' the rights of Chinese students. 'The US has unreasonably cancelled Chinese students' visas under the pretext of ideology and national rights,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The Trump administration also banned Harvard University from enrolling any foreign students on May 22, accusing the institution of 'coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party'. That move has since been blocked by a US federal judge. Still, the largest portion of foreign students at Harvard – almost 1,300 – are Chinese, and many top officials, including the current leader Xi Jinping, have sent their children to the Ivy League school. On May 13, just after the end of trade talks in Geneva, the US Commerce Department issued guidance warning American firms against using Huawei's Ascend AI semiconductor chips, stating that they 'were likely developed or produced in violation of US export controls'. The move marked the latest in a series of efforts by the Trump administration to stymie China's ability to develop cutting-edge AI chips. The tiny semiconductors, which power AI systems, have long been a source of tension between the US and China. China's Commerce Ministry spokesperson fired back against the guidance last week, accusing Washington of 'undermining' the consensus reached in Geneva and describing the measures as 'typical unilateral bullying and protectionism'. Then, on May 28, the US government ramped up the row by ordering US companies which make software used to design semiconductors to stop selling their goods and services to Chinese groups, The Financial Times reported. Design automation software makers, including Cadence, Synopsys and Siemens EDA, were told via letters from the US Commerce Department to stop supplying their technology to China. The US has been tightening its export controls on semiconductors for more than a decade, contending that China has used US computer chips to improve military hardware and software. Chinese officials and industry executives deny this and contend that the US is trying to limit China's economic and technological development. In his first term as president, Trump banned China's Huawei from using advanced US circuit boards. Huawei is seen as a competitor to Nvidia, the US semiconductor giant which produces its own-brand of 'Ascend' AI chips. In April, Washington restricted the export of Nvidia's AI chips to China. But Nvidia's chief executive, Jensen Huang, recently warned that attempts to hamstring China's AI technology through export controls had largely failed. The suspension of semiconductor sales will limit supplies for aerospace equipment needed for China's commercial aircraft, the C919, a signature project in China's push towards economic and transport self-reliance. Christopher Johnson, a former CIA China analyst, told The Financial Times that this week's new export controls underscored the 'innate fragility of the tariff truce reached in Geneva'. 'With both sides wanting to retain and continue demonstrating the potency of their respective chokehold capabilities, the risk the ceasefire could unravel even within the 90-day pause is omnipresent,' he added. US officials had expected the Geneva talks to result in China easing its export restrictions on rare earth elements. So far, there have been few signs of that, however. Rare earth minerals are a group of precious minerals required to manufacture a wide range of goods in the defence, healthcare and technology sectors. Rare earth metals, which include scandium and yttrium, are also key for producing components in capacitors – electrical parts which help power AI servers and smartphones. China processes some 90 percent of the world's rare earth minerals and instituted export controls in April to counter Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April, triggering alarm among US companies. Last week, for instance, Ford temporarily closed a factory in Chicago which makes utility vehicles after one of its suppliers ran out of a specialised rare earth magnet. In most new cars, especially elevate vehicles (cars with robotic technology allowing them to 'climb' over obstacles), these high-tech magnets are used in parts which operate brake and steering systems, and power seats and fuel injectors. The restrictions on the supply of rare earth minerals provide Beijing with a strategic advantage in future negotiations, as it can limit supplies of crucial technologies for US industry.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Department targets Chinese students in continued changes to visa system
The Brief The U.S. State Department is temporarily suspending new interviews for international student visas to expand social media screenings. The new policy aims to combat antisemitism, censorship, and "anti-American" speech, according to the administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the U.S. will also revoke visas of Chinese students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying in critical fields. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. State Department says a new policy will ensure international students are properly vetted before coming to the United States. The change comes months after many international students at North Texas schools had their visas revoked in similar updates to the system. What we know The department has a singular message for American colleges, universities and the foreign-born students who wish to attend them. Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said it was temporarily suspending new interviews for international students applying to study in the U.S. as the Fed works to expand its screenings of social media. According to the administration, it's to combat antisemitism, censorship and "anti-American" speech. Harvard University has been at the center of numerous conflicts with the White House. Last week, the Ivy League school was blocked from enrolling future international students or retaining its current ones. What we don't know It's unclear to what degree North Texas schools will be affected by the additional changes. FOX 4 reached out to the North Texas universities impacted the most with recent issues relating to international student visas, but received no response. What they're saying "Every sovereign nation has a right to make sure they know who's in their nation and if they are safe to be here & for the people who want to come," said Tammy Bruce with the U.S. State Department. Late Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took it a step further, saying on X: "The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." Critics say the update takes it too far. "If this is, in fact, about national security and threats, why only international students?" asked Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, the Association of International Educators. Aw says she's puzzled because there are already stringent requirements in place for this particular population. "There were lots of measures that were taken by the government, as it relates to consulate affairs and vetting of folks coming into the United States as a result of 9/11 to ensure those coming into the U.S. were coming in, and not a national threat," said Aw. Dig deeper Earlier this year, dozens of international students attending North Texas schools had their visas revoked as Rubio and his department began to implement their changes. At that time, Rubio vowed to terminate the visas of international students and others who participate in activities that counter U.S. national interests or those who have broken the law. The backstory Last May, the University of Texas at Dallas was at the center of a national firestorm, when students rallied in support of Palestine. The students set up an encampment on campus, calling for the school to divest from corporations involved in supplying Israel with weapons used against Gaza. Police ultimately intervened and arrested at least 21 people. At least nine were disciplined by the university. The Source Information in this article comes from the U.S. State Department and NAFSA.
CNA
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Rubio says US to refuse visas to officials over online 'censorship'
WASHINGTON: The United States will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans' social media posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday (May 28) in his latest crackdown. Rubio - who himself has come under fire for removing US visas from activists who criticise Israel - said he was acting against "flagrant censorship actions" overseas against US tech firms. He did not publicly name any official who would lose a visa under the new policy. But last week, he suggested to lawmakers that he was planning action against Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has battled X owner Elon Musk to remove alleged disinformation. The administration of President Donald Trump - himself a prolific and often confrontational social media user - has also sharply criticised allies Germany and Britain for restricting what the governments term hate speech. Rubio said that the United States will begin to restrict visas to foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States." "It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on US citizens or US residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on US soil," Rubio said in a statement. "It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States," he said. "We will not tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, especially when such encroachments undermine the exercise of our fundamental right to free speech." Rubio has said that he has revoked the US visas for thousands of people, largely students who have protested against Israel's offensive in Gaza. Among the most visible cases has been Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University who had written an opinion piece in a student newspaper criticising the school's position on Gaza.
