US-China tensions shake higher education as student visa revocations surge

File photo of Chinese students waiting outside the US Embassy for their visa application interviews in Beijing.

Rising US-China tensions are straining one of the most enduring relationships between the two countries: the steady flow of Chinese students to American colleges. Beijing issued a formal warning this week, cautioning students about the risks of studying in the US, just as reports emerged of increasing visa cancellations for Chinese nationals already enrolled in US universities, the Wall Street Journal reported.

China responds to tariffs with advisory China’s Ministry of Education advised students on Wednesday to “thoroughly assess risks” before pursuing US education, echoing similar guidance issued in 2019 during the Trump administration’s trade war. The warning came as the US imposed fresh tariffs on Chinese goods, further escalating bilateral tensions.

Students’ economic footprint is significant Chinese students have long been an economic pillar for American universities, typically paying full tuition and contributing substantially to US service exports. In 2023 alone, education-related travel from Chinese nationals brought in $14.3 billion, accounting for nearly one-third of all foreign students’ expenditures in the US, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Overall, the US ran a $32 billion service surplus with China in 2024, up from $27 billion the previous year—much of it driven by education.

Visa revocations spark fear and confusion Colleges and universities across the US have reported that student visas are being revoked without prior notice, leaving affected students panicked and uncertain about their future. More than a dozen Chinese students told The Wall Street Journal their visas were cancelled this week, in some cases over minor infractions such as traffic violations. An engineering student in Pennsylvania said he received no explanation. “We pay too much money to experience this kind of nightmare,” he said.

Students fear surveillance and retaliation A student in New York, identified only as Song, said she has been scouring her social media accounts, worried that a past post or “like” could have triggered the visa action. “I had never thought I would be scared about what I posted here in America,” she said, noting that her family urged her to return home.

Legal battle yields temporary relief In a rare legal victory, a federal court in New Hampshire restored the visa status of Xiaotian Liu, a Dartmouth doctoral student who sued Homeland Security after his visa was revoked without explanation. Liu, represented by the ACLU of New Hampshire, claimed he had committed no crimes or participated in any protests. The ruling, his lawyer said, affirmed that those who follow the rules should not arbitrarily lose legal status.

Policy echoes past crackdowns on Chinese students The Trump administration’s scrutiny of Chinese students is not new. In 2020, more than 1,000 Chinese student visas were revoked over national security concerns related to scientific

research. The latest wave of cancellations appears to mirror that policy, particularly targeting students in STEM fields.

Congress seeks more oversight of Chinese students Last month, Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, requested data from top research universities—including Stanford and Carnegie Mellon—on Chinese students in federally funded STEM programs. Chinese nationals currently make up 16% of all US graduate students in science and engineering, according to a Johns Hopkins study.

India overtakes China in student numbers Due to pandemic disruptions, China’s economic slowdown, and geopolitical friction, the number of Chinese students in the US has declined steadily. In the latest academic year, India surpassed China as the top source of international students, sending over 331,000 students compared to China’s 277,000.

Experts warn of long-term damage The sharp drop in Chinese student enrolment threatens both the financial health of US universities and the country’s access to global talent. Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute cautioned that the trend could weaken the nation’s innovation ecosystem. “Cutting off that source of innovation and strength could hurt our economic vitality as a country,” she said.