The US State Department will “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students pursuing their studies in the United States.
The decision has been confirmed through a press statement provided by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, VisaGuide.World reports.
Under President Trump’s leadership, the US State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
In 2024 there were an estimated 280,000 Chinese students in the United States. However, it is yet unclear regarding the number of those who will be affected by the recent decision of Trump’s administration.
In addition, through a statement, Rubio also unfolded plans to revise criteria for future visa applicants from China and Hong Kong, in a bid to enhance national security.
We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.
China Criticizes US Decision to Revoke Student Visas
The recent US decision has been criticized by Chinese authorities. A spokesperson for the Chinese government, Mao Ning, told the Guardian that the Trump administration is using national security as a pretext for the “unreasonable decision”, which according to Ning seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and hampered the normal cultural exchange between both territories.
This political and discriminatory practice of the US has exposed the lies of the so-called freedom and openness that the US has always advertised, and further damaged the US’s own international image, national image and national credibility.
US Halts New International Student Visa Appointments
Rubio’ announcement came after China criticized the Trump administration’s decision a day earlier to halt visa appointments to new international students worldwide.
Recently, the US State Department decided to suspend the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students wishing to pursue their studies in the US, while preparing to expand the screening of applicants’ activity in social media.
Chinese students in the US account for a large share of international students from worldwide countries. According to a report from the Guardian, in the 2023-24 academic year, China sent a total of 277,398 students to the US.
Last month, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would start screening foreigners’ social media activity for anti-Semitism.