[WASHINGTON] Visitors to the US arriving on student visas hit a four-year low in August, portending a grim trend for the nation’s education sector.
Student arrivals to the US dropped 19 per cent in August year on year to just over 313,000 – a fifth consecutive month of declines, according to data from the International Trade Administration that tracks arrivals to the country. That was the lowest number of students entering the US for August – a peak month for new students to arrive – since 2021 amid the Covid pandemic. Total student arrivals are down nearly 12 per cent for the year through August.
The downturn is most dramatic among those from Asia, which provides the bulk of student visas, as President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies create immigration hurdles. The measures implemented during the summer application season have had a chilling effect on students eyeing the US for advance education, leading to billions of US dollars in lost revenue for US universities.
“If the trends continue, the impact will be significant not only for campuses and their students – both international and American – but for the economy overall,” said Zuzana Cepla Wootson, deputy director of federal policy of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, whose members are university leaders. “Fewer international students mean fewer contributions to America’s leadership in science and technology – and, ultimately, a less competitive US in the long run.”
The latest student visa data comes as the Trump administration’s immigration reforms target new H-1B visas for foreign workers with specialised skills. The president signed a proclamation on Friday overhauling the programme, including a US$100,000 fee for applications.
The education industry is expecting to see further declines in September, with estimates suggesting new international student enrolment could be down by as much as 40 per cent this fall, Wootson said.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
That would translate to roughly US$7 billion in lost revenue for universities, according to the group NAFSA: Association of International Educators. International students contributed nearly US$44 billion to the US economy and supported almost 400,000 jobs in 2023-2024. For every three international students, one US job is created, according to the group.
Asia posted the biggest decline in the total shortfall of student arrivals, falling 24 per cent to about 191,000. Indian scholars decreased 45 per cent, while those from China dropped 12 per cent. Thirteen of the biggest source markets in Asia, from Japan to Vietnam, experienced declines in student arrivals in August and for the year.
Africa posted a 33 per cent per cent decline in student arrivals, the biggest by percentage of any region, though off a much smaller total. Western European countries, by contrast, showed the smallest decline of just under 1 per cent.
The US temporarily paused student visa interviews in late May and enhanced vetting processes to include reviews of applicants’ social media profiles – creating backlogs at embassies and consulates.
The visitor arrival figures do not break down whether those coming in are new or returning students. Many already on student visas may have chosen to stay in the US due to the administration’s scrutiny of international scholars, Wootson said. BLOOMBERG
