U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, particularly those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
Rubio further stated that the U.S. Department of State will also modify visa criteria to increase scrutiny of all future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.
Driving the news: In academic year 2023-2024, China had the second-highest number of international students pursuing higher education in the United States, with 277,398 students, per data from the Institute of International Education.
- There were reports that the U.S. Department of State had suspended new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants earlier.
- The Trump administration has been broadening the social media screening of foreign students and aims to intensify deportations and revoke student visas as part of its overall efforts to fulfill its strict immigration agenda.
