- Rubio announces plans to revise visa standards.
- Students from India and China make up 54% of international students.
- The State Department has significant powers regarding visa issuance and revocation.
WASHINGTON: On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the United States will begin to “actively” revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those linked to the Chinese Communist Party or pursuing studies in critical areas.
This initiative, if extended to a large portion of the tens of thousands of Chinese students in American universities, could significantly impact the financial stability of these institutions and disrupt a vital talent source for US tech industries.
The Trump administration has intensified efforts to deport individuals and revoke student visas, aligning with its strict immigration policies.
In his statement, Rubio detailed that the State Department would also update visa criteria to tighten the review process for all future applications from China and Hong Kong.
“The US State Department will collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security to rigorously revoke visas for Chinese students,” he explained.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not offer an immediate response to these developments.
China’s foreign ministry has previously expressed its commitment to “firmly uphold the legitimate rights and interests” of its students abroad, particularly after actions taken by the Trump administration that affected Harvard University’s capacity to enroll many foreign students, including a significant number from China.
China finds itself at the center of Trump’s aggressive trade policies, which have unsettled financial markets, disrupted supply chains, and raised concerns over a global economic slowdown. The decision to revoke student visas occurs amid a temporary easing of tensions in the US-China trade relationship.
International students, predominantly from India and China, accounted for over $50 billion in contributions to the US economy in 2023, as reported by the US Department of Commerce.
Universities’ Connections to China Under Examination
The State Department wields broad powers to grant and rescind visas. Just last week, the administration cited Harvard University’s affiliations with China as a key reason for halting its ability to enroll international students, an action currently under legal scrutiny.
Details on how broadly the visa cancellations would be applied were not specified in Rubio’s statement. Even a modest decrease could hinder the stream of Chinese students seeking higher education in the US, a trend that has flourished since the late 1970s.
For years, the United States has been the preferred destination for many Chinese students looking to escape China’s highly competitive university landscape, drawn by the prestige of American institutions. These students typically come from affluent backgrounds, capable of shouldering the hefty costs of US education.
Many have remained in the US after completing their studies, significantly contributing to American research and the workforce.
However, the number of Chinese students in the US declined to about 277,000 in 2024, down from a peak of around 370,000 in 2019, influenced by rising tensions between the two leading economies, increased scrutiny from the US government, and the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
As geopolitical tensions between the US and China resemble a new cold war, scrutiny of China’s state-sponsored influence and technology transfers at US colleges has heightened.
Washington has expressed growing apprehension that Beijing may utilize openly funded research environments in the US to bypass export controls and national security laws.
This increased scrutiny and uncertainty regarding visas have prompted more Chinese students to consider educational opportunities in Europe and have led many graduates to return to China for employment.
Yaqiu Wang, a human rights researcher based in the US who moved here from China as a student, acknowledged that Beijing has exploited the openness of US academia for espionage and intellectual property theft, yet expressed concern regarding Rubio’s announcement.
“Widespread visa cancellations would not only jeopardize the rights and livelihoods of Chinese students studying and working in the US but could also weaken America’s historical status as a leader in scientific innovation,” she remarked.
During Trump’s initial term, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spearheaded efforts to eliminate Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute cultural centers from US campuses, asserting they were instrumental in promoting China’s “global propaganda” and recruiting “spies and collaborators.”
Consequently, many US institutions severed ties with these centers.
On Tuesday, reports revealed the US Department of State had ceased new appointments for all foreign student and exchange visitor visa applicants, as noted in an internal communication.
The Trump administration has amplified social media vetting of foreign students and aims to enforce stricter removal processes and revoke student visas to support its stringent immigration strategies.
