![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Print_News_International-Students_JoseGonzalez-Campelo-01.png\")
<\/p>\n\t\t<\/p>\n
Jose Gonzalez-Campelo\/The Cougar<\/p>\n
International students face an increasingly hostile landscape. In addition to visa revocations<\/a> and travel restrictions<\/a> enacted last year, students from 39 countries will now be unable to obtain visas<\/a> to study in the United States.<\/p>\n 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\u2013issued or endorsed documents.<\/p>\n Visa issuance is partially suspended to 19 countries, including: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D\u2019Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize that recent developments around international visas have created uncertainty and may feel unsettling for some members of our international community,\u201d said International Student and Scholar Services Office associate director Stefan Johnsson. \u201cUH 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.\u201d<\/p>\n For students, the latest increase in visa restrictions is unsurprising but concerning nonetheless; being an international student is a process inherently laden with uncertainty.<\/p>\n \u201cIt did not strike me as anything new, as there have always been visa restrictions and suspensions for countries experiencing internal turmoil,\u201d said public policy and religious studies junior Han Nguyen. \u201cHowever, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey 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,\u201d Nguyen said.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is very discouraging,\u201d the student said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n