Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
International students face an increasingly hostile landscape. In addition to visa revocations and travel restrictions enacted last year, students from 39 countries will now be unable to obtain visas to study in the United States.
As of Jan. 1, visa issuance is fully suspended for 19 countries, including: Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as well as individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued or endorsed documents.
Visa issuance is partially suspended to 19 countries, including: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
There are exceptions for permanent residents and students with dual citizenship who are applying with a passport from a country that is not subject to suspension as well as participants in certain major sporting events and U.S. government employees.
“We recognize that recent developments around international visas have created uncertainty and may feel unsettling for some members of our international community,” said International Student and Scholar Services Office associate director Stefan Johnsson. “UH remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting any students affected by these changes by providing clear information, guidance and resources to help them navigate this moment and succeed academically, professionally and personally.”
For students, the latest increase in visa restrictions is unsurprising but concerning nonetheless; being an international student is a process inherently laden with uncertainty.
“It did not strike me as anything new, as there have always been visa restrictions and suspensions for countries experiencing internal turmoil,” said public policy and religious studies junior Han Nguyen. “However, the scale of these measures made them feel more immediate and unsettling, especially knowing that complete and partial suspensions affected such a large number of countries.”
When visa restrictions first went into place last year, Nguyen, who is Vietnamese, was made aware through an email from the International Students and Scholar Services Office.
“They did not affect me personally, but I do think they contributed to creating an anxious atmosphere among international students, since there was uncertainty about which country might be targeted next,” Nguyen said.
Travel has become more stressful as well. One Nigerian student, whose identity The Cougar has chosen to protect due to the current political climate, did not go home for Christmas over concerns that they would be denied re-entry to the U.S. Now, they are simply trying to prepare for whatever comes next.
“I think it is very discouraging,” the student said. “I think international students will be very dissuaded and discouraged to come and attend school here. It clearly projects that we are not welcome or wanted.”
Current visa-holders will not be affected by the new wave of restrictions, but international students must comply with certain enrollment and employment requirements in order to maintain their status.
“I currently work on-campus during the school year, as this is the only employment option legally available to me,” Nguyen said. “I plan to continue working in my current position until I graduate.”
Nguyen echoes this sentiment as well and states that it is past the time when the U.S. is the prime destination for attaining an education.
“At this point, there are many other countries that are more gracious to international students and also offer relatively more affordable tuition,” Nguyen said. “Unless someone has family in the States, I think there are other opportunities that can adequately serve the purpose of attaining a well-rounded education.”
Funding for research is being upended which creates instability not only for faculty and institutions but also for students who rely on these systems to plan their futures, Nguyen said.
Ultimately, she hopes to see more opportunities for both domestic and international students within the higher education system.
“If higher education in America were trusted and supported more fully, international students would not be so easily targeted or treated as political liabilities,” Nguyen said. “I would like to see more consistent public investment in education and research along with policies that recognize international students as contributors to academia rather than sources of risk.”
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