07 - Campus Feature News - Isaiah Calvert

 

       

       Nearly 20% fewer international students traveled to the US in August - The number of international students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 19 percent this year compared with last year, the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic. The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

       The data, based on arrival records of international student visitors, includes both new international students entering the U.S. and existing international students returning to the country. That means we don’t know the number of new students alone. But in the past, August arrivals have been a reasonably good indicator of fall enrollment. Most international students arrive in August, in time for the fall semester, as they can’t enter the country more than 30 days before their programs begin.

       The United States hosts the most international students of any country: about 1.3 million doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s and associate students, according to recent government data. Over 70 percent are from Asia, and Asian students also make up the largest share of travelers in the data. This year, the number of Asian students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 24 percent — the lowest August numbers on record outside of the pandemic.

       Students from Europe make up about 7 percent of U.S. international students. But they made up about 16 percent of international student arrivals in August. Their arrival numbers stayed roughly similar to those of the past year. There were more students arriving from Britain, and slight declines in the numbers of students from Spain and Germany. The largest drop in European student visitors was from Russia, which has had strained relations with the U.S.

       Students from Africa also make up about 7 percent of international students in the U.S. Their arrival numbers fell in August by nearly a third. The shares of students arriving from Ghana and Nigeria fell by nearly half in August. In July, the U.S. placed tighter rules on many categories of visas for citizens of Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Cameroon. These visas now allow a single entry to the U.S. and are valid for three months (student visas typically allow multiple entries and are valid for many years).

       The number of students arriving from South America (about 6 percent of international students) also showed a decline this year, despite student travel having been relatively steady aside from the pandemic. (New York Times)