The U.S. will “aggressively” revoke visas for some Chinese students, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new U.S. policy aimed at tightening student visa rules is raising concern and confusion for Chinese students hoping to study in the United States.
Under the directive announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S. will “aggressively” revoke visas for some Chinese nationals, specifically students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying certain fields. The new policy also calls for stricter future visa requirements for applicants from China and Hong Kong.
“They (students) are just really concerned because to them it feels unclear … what is really going to happen to them because they did spend a lot of time, energy, money to come here and to have it be revoked,” Elisha Li, an incoming student at UNC Charlotte, said.
RELATED: UNC Charlotte international students’ visas suddenly revoked
Li moved to Charlotte from China at age 15 and is preparing to begin her college journey at UNC Charlotte, where she plans to study psychology and business.
“Education mostly … education opportunity for me,” Li said. “They [Li’s parents] wanted me to be able to go anywhere I wanted in the world. America is a huge hub for education and other things. It is globally acclaimed, and you can take an American degree anywhere and get a pretty good job out of it.”
More than 277,000 Chinese students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2023–2024 academic year, making them one of the largest groups of international students in the country.
While some community members are sounding the alarm about the impact of the new rules, others argue the policy is necessary.
“Even though I am Chinese, I don’t want people to come here and spy on us, steal our technology and go back to their country, not for the benefit of our own country … America,” Winnie Knapp, the former president of the Chinese American Association of Charlotte, said.
She says American students should be put first.
“Many kids are put on waitlists and don’t have opportunity, and at this point I have to think, why do we give up 30% to international [students] in the sake of American students?” Knapp said.
Knapp also acknowledged the importance of welcoming talented students from abroad but emphasized the need for safeguards.
“Everyone is panicking, because a lot of people want to come here to study,” she said.
Davidson College and Wingate University are among the local institutions responding to the policy shift.
In a statement, Wingate University said it was “monitoring the situation and will comply with applicable law while protecting the rights and interests of our students.”
Davidson College released a more detailed response:
“Davidson is assessing the impact of the State Department’s announced visa changes for international students.
International Student Engagement Office staff members are contacting international students to advise them about the potential consequences of these changes and provide resources for them.
We are committed to assisting these students in any way we can.
Our international students, faculty and staff have come to Davidson from over 50 countries and they remain critically important members of the Davidson community. We deeply value the talent, ideas and insight that they bring to our campus.
After they graduate, they bring our shared American values back to their country or become an educated member of the workforce who contributes to economic and civic life in the U.S.”
Students like Li say the hardest part right now is not knowing how the policy will be applied or who will be affected.
“I would love more clarity,” she said.
The State Department’s advisory titled “New Visa Policies Put America First, Not China” frames the policy as a national security measure. But some students are calling for more details. Li says many students like her are watching closely for clarification on how officials will decide which students are subject to the new policy.
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