In Depth: U.S. Visa Curbs Leave Chinese Students in Limbo as Trump Gambles With Their Future
By Zeng Jia from Washington D.C., Lu Chen, Xu Luyi and Han Wei from Beijing
He Yuxing had planned to begin a degree course in biology in the United States this year after finishing high school there. Now, spending a gap year in China, he doesn’t know if he will be able to return. “Trump might just be generating buzz,” He said. “But he’s gambling with our futures.”
His anxiety is felt by many international students navigating a changing academic landscape shaped by volatile U.S. immigration policies under the Trump administration. For years, hundreds of thousands of Chinese students have applied to American universities for top-tier education and career opportunities. But recent abrupt changes in policy and political rhetoric have aroused fears in students about their chances of obtaining a visa, their legal status and their post-graduation prospects. Many have been left in limbo.
Visa complications and questions around academic standing have left students scrambling. Central to He’s concerns is the I-20 form — the certificate for eligibility for nonimmigrant student status — which becomes invalid after five months outside the U.S. The rule is increasingly fraught with risk following restrictive immigration announcements since May. He reached out to his future college, unsure if his admission was still valid. “Right now, nothing is under my control,” he said.
Yue Min, preparing to return to the University of Texas at Austin for a master’s in social work, also faces uncertainty. She once hoped to work in the U.S. for three years after graduation and have a chance at the H-1B visa lottery, a program that allows foreign graduates in specialized fields to work in the U.S. for up to six years. Today, those hopes seem far less assured. “Who knows?” she said. “Maybe by the time I graduate, even the H-1B visa will be gone.”
For Ph.D. candidates such as Mu Zhizhi, the stakes are higher. An engineering doctoral student, Mu has spent eight years in the U.S. Her area of study, part of the STEM fields — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — is now seen through a national security lens, making her immigration status increasingly precarious.
She has chosen not to return to China until her studies are complete, fearing she may not be readmitted. “I’m gearing up to tough it out until 2027,” she said. “Almost all the Chinese Ph.D. students I know are bracing themselves for the same reality.”
Trapped in uncertainty
On May 28, the U.S. State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced stricter vetting of Chinese student visas. The policy, aligning with directives from Donald Trump, targets students allegedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party or enrolled in unspecified “critical fields.”
“The news was a shock,” said a Chinese student preparing to apply for a visa to study computer science.
Yue’s visa renewal faced additional reviews but was eventually approved. She considers herself fortunate, noting that peers in data-driven fields such as AI face much tougher scrutiny. Even psychology students researching data-intensive topics have seen delays or have been turned down, said Yue.
A Chinese law student said she feels effectively “trapped in the U.S.” in case the visa policy changes when she is out of the country. Mu echoed the sentiment. Despite study periods lasting up to five years, Chinese STEM students are typically granted only one-year visas. “You just stay put in the U.S.,” she said.
Under U.S. rules, while an expired visa bars re-entry, students with valid SEVIS status — the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which tracks international students and their academic standing — can remain legally. However, recent reports of mass SEVIS cancellations have led to panic.
Many universities, including Mu’s, have advised international students — notably those from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong — not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
Harvard under fire
The situation became worse when the Trump administration set its sights on Harvard University. In a policy move rooted in the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump accused elite universities of eroding American values and pledged tighter federal control over higher education.
On May 22, the Department of Homeland Security suspended Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, citing noncompliance in submitting student records. The decision jeopardized the status of nearly 6,800 international students — more than 27% of Harvard’s student body. Chinese students make up almost a quarter of that number.
Harvard swiftly sued the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State, calling the move unconstitutional retaliation. A Harvard Law School alumnus described the order as a “negotiation through intimidation,” warning of lasting damage to the reputation of U.S. academia.
The crackdown had immediate consequences. A Chinese graduate who had just completed a master’s at Harvard saw her OPT — Optional Practical Training — application jeopardized. She now worries that the restrictions could extend to other universities as she applies for Ph.D. programs.
On May 23, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the suspension, and on May 29 extended it indefinitely. Still, at least 10 international students reported visa denials in the final week of May, according to Harvard’s international office.
The administration struck again on June 4 with a presidential proclamation barring new Harvard students on F, M, or J visas from entering the U.S. for six months. Rubio said revoking current students’ visas is also under consideration. Harvard called the move unlawful and vowed to protect its students. Judge Burroughs again intervened on June 5 with another temporary injunction.
“If the worst happens and Harvard can no longer admit international students, I won’t blame the school,” said student Li Yanzhi. “At least we fought back.”
Rethinking the future
Mu once dreamed of building a life in the U.S. That dream has faded. “As soon as I get my degree, I’m going back to China,” she said.
She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from a top East Coast university but struggled to find work because of visa limitations and employer hesitancy. “Every time I checked the ‘no green card’ box, my applications disappeared into a black hole.”
Hoping a Ph.D. would improve her prospects, she found instead that her field in engineering was in decline. “In a society driven by finance and services, people in my field often feel invisible,” she said.
The worsening political climate solidified her decision to leave. Yet she doubts the Trump administration’s efforts to “Americanize” academia will succeed. “Most American students have no interest in foundational research,” she said, noting that international students, especially from developing countries, dominate Ph.D. programs in the U.S.
A 2024 National Science Board report supports her view: 19% of the U.S. STEM workforce is foreign-born, and among Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers, the figure is 43%.
Yue, who completed her undergraduate studies in Texas, is now pursuing a master’s degree. In May, the state passed a law banning citizens of China, North Korea and Russia from owning or renting property — despite opposition from her university. Similar measures have been proposed in at least 22 states since 2023.
Although Yue studies in liberal Austin and has felt welcome, she acknowledges the pressures. Still, she said, “The policies can be absurd, but people are kind. You can always find a way to live.”
No easy way out
Transferring to other countries or institutions isn’t always feasible. Yue hasn’t seen students transfer solely due to policy changes—not even friends at Harvard. He, who completed only one semester, is considering backup plans but hopes to return. “Starting over would be too much,” he said.
For Mu, transferring is not an option. Doctoral research is too specialized, and switching programs could mean starting from scratch. “In the worst-case scenario, I’ll abandon the degree and return home,” she said.
He Yuxing, Yue Min, Mu Zhizhi, Shen Huaichuan, and Li Yanzhi are pseudonyms. Guo Yingzi contributed to the story
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
caixinglobal.com is the English-language online news portal of Chinese financial and business news media group Caixin. Global Neighbours is authorized to reprint this article.
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