Rubio Says US Will Begin ‘Aggressively’ Revoking Chinese Student Visas—What To Know
Topline
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration will begin “aggressively” revoking visas for Chinese students, in a move that targets a group that makes up the second-largest population of international students in the U.S. and could further raise tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the state department will begin revoking visas of Chinese … More
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Key Facts
In a statement released by the State Department, Rubio said the agency would work with the Department of Homeland Security to revoke visas for Chinese students, “including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”
The secretary of state said the U.S. would also “enhance scrutiny” for all future visa applicants from China and Hong Kong.
Rubio’s statement did not specify how many students would be impacted by the action and which specific fields may be targeted.
The move comes a day after the Trump administration halted all student visa interviews to implement an expanded “social media screening and vetting” process for applicants.
What Do We Know About Chinese Students In America?
In 2023-24, Chinese nationals made up the second-largest group of the 1.1 million international students in the U.S., according to a report published by the Institute of International Education. The report said 277,398 Chinese students were enrolled in the U.S. educational institutions last year, a slight decline from 2023. India overtook China on the list for the first time, with 331,602 students enrolled in 2023-24. However, China remained the leading country of origin for undergraduates and non-degree students.
Has Chinese Student Enrollment In The U.s. Been Declining?
According to the IIE report, Chinese student enrollment dropped by 4.2% in the 2023-24 academic year. This, combined with Indian student enrollment rising by 23%, meant China dropped behind its Asian neighbor as the top country of origin for international students for the first time since 2008-09. According to the IIE’s annual Open Doors report, Chinese students topped the list of foreign nationals pursuing higher education in the U.S. every single year between 2010 and 2023. The number of Chinese students enrolling in U.S. universities and colleges rose steadily every year, going from 127,000 in the 2009-10 academic year to 372,532 in 2019-20. The 2019-20 academic year was the peak and the numbers began to drop with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While overall international student enrollments trended back upwards the following year, tensions between Beijing and Washington meant Chinese students’ numbers have continued to drop every single year since then.
What Do We Know About The Economic Impact Of International Students?
While there is no specific breakdown by country, the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers reports that international students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 378,175 jobs in the country during the 2023-2024 academic year. The IIE’s report cited the U.S. Department of Commerce and said international students contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023.
Tangent
Last week, the Trump administration announced it was revoking Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, a move that had since been blocked by a federal judge. However, when the move was announced by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote that the administration was trying to hold Harvard “accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.” Noem, however, did not specify what this alleged coordination with the CCP entailed.
Further Reading
Harvard Barred From Enrolling International Students By Trump Administration (Forbes)