The arrival of foreign students to the United States fell by 20% in August compared with the same month of the previous year, marking the largest decline since the pandemic. This change affects both the new students entering the country and those returning from their vacation, and excludes students who arrive by land from Mexico and Canada. The immigration policies implemented during Donald Trump's second term have contributed to this decline, with travel and visa restrictions, including the threat of deportation for certain groups of students, and a temporary suspension in the granting of visas to applicants to universities such as Harvard.
In this context, Canadian universities have benefited from the change, seeing an increase in international student enrollment. Asian students, who traditionally account for more than 70% of the foreigners in the United States, have been especially affected, with a 24% decrease in their arrivals. Indian and Chinese students, who represent a large portion of the international student body, have also suffered significant declines. While European students have maintained a stable level of arrivals, other groups such as Africans and Latin Americans have seen variations in their figures, with significant reductions within certain nationalities due to the strict visa conditions.
Read the full news article on The Country.
