Trump Administration To Revoke Visas Of Chinese Students Tied To CCP Or Critical Fields, Tightens Screening

The President Donald Trump administration announced plans to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the United States, specifically targeting those with Chinese Communist Party connections or studying in critical fields.

What Happened: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Wednesday statement that the administration will “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” Rubio added that visa criteria will be revised to “enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong.”

The State Department ordered U.S. embassies worldwide to stop scheduling new student visa appointments as it prepares to expand social media vetting procedures, according to an internal memo reviewed by CBS News.

According to U.S. State Department data compiled by the Institute of International Education, approximately 280,000 Chinese students were studying in the U.S. last year, a number that has declined in recent years.

The administration has already terminated Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleging the university fostered “violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.” Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in 2024-2025.

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Why It Matters: International students contributed nearly $44 billion to the U.S. economy last year and supported 378,000 jobs, according to NAFSA data. Universities rely heavily on international student tuition revenue, with many institutions using these funds to subsidize domestic student costs.

The administration has already revoked over 1,500 student visas across 222 schools, creating uncertainty for institutions from elite universities to public colleges. Legal challenges are pending, with students claiming the Department of Homeland Security acted without proper justification or due process procedures.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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