- The U.S. will revoke visas for select Chinese students – particularly those in "critical fields" (e.g., STEM) or with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), citing espionage and military-civil fusion risks.
- The policy affects only a small fraction of the 270,000 Chinese students who contribute over $14 billion annually to the economy.
- New visa criteria will impose stricter reviews for all Chinese applicants, including mandatory social media checks (e.g., X, TikTok) for security threats.
- The Visa Interview Waiver Program was halted, requiring in-person interviews for most non-immigrant visa applications, potentially causing delays and financial strain for universities reliant on international tuition.
- Framed as part of anti-espionage and extremism efforts, the measures align with Trump's earlier actions (e.g., May 2020 PLA-linked student bans) and focus on safeguarding U.S. research and national security.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the United States will begin revoking visas for certain Chinese students, particularly those studying in "critical fields" or with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
China remains the second-largest source of international students in the U.S., with over 270,000 Chinese nationals enrolled in American universities during the 2023-2024 academic year – roughly a quarter of all foreign students. These students contribute more than $14 billion annually to the U.S. economy through tuition and living expenses.
However, Rubio revealed the growing U.S. concerns over Beijing's alleged efforts to exploit American academic institutions for military and technological advancement. Rubio emphasized that the new measures target only a small fraction of Chinese students, focusing on those deemed security risks.
"Under President Trump's leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 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," Rubio said in a press statement on May 28. (Related: Chinese student arrested for omitting link to PLA-backed university in F-1 visa application.)
Trump admin suspends Visa Interview Waiver Program
This announcement comes a day after President Donald Trump directed the State Department to immediately suspend the Visa Interview Waiver Program, requiring nearly all non-immigrant visa applicants to undergo in-person interviews, in accordance with Section 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The directive, issued in an internal cable on May 27 and signed by Rubio, instructs consular sections to pause adding "any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued" in the coming days.
This move could cause significant delays in visa processing and deal a financial blow to U.S. universities, many of which rely heavily on tuition revenue from international students – a group Trump has repeatedly criticized for allegedly promoting far-left ideologies.
Since March, consular officers have been required to conduct mandatory social media reviews for applicants suspected of supporting "terrorist activity or a terrorist organization," a broad category that has included expressions of solidarity with Palestinians. Officers were instructed to take screenshots of "potentially derogatory" posts, even if later deleted, for permanent records.
The new policy, however, extends social media vetting to all student visa applicants, not just those flagged for activism. Under the expanded screening, officers will scrutinize applicants' posts, shares and comments on platforms like Instagram, X and TikTok for content deemed threatening to national security. The administration has framed the crackdown as part of its broader effort to combat antisemitism and extremism.
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