US travel ban leaves international students stranded, just as college term begins

The United States’ travel ban has cast a long shadow over international student enrolment, experts warn, compounding visa delays and bureaucratic hurdles that have left thousands of aspiring scholars uncertain about their academic futures.

Recent months have seen growing disruptions for students already in the US. “The state department suddenly started revoking visas for students already here, and the department of homeland security terminated their SEVIS records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme,” said expert Sarah Spreitzer of the American Council for Education. “Students were suddenly forced to end their studies and return to their home countries.”

The situation was worsened by a three-week pause in student visa interviews this summer, introduced to implement a new social media vetting plan. Spreitzer said the delays are affecting students’ ability to begin or continue their studies on time, adding to the uncertainty created by heightened immigration scrutiny and restrictive policies.

US president Donald Trump’s travel ban has, as of 9 June, barred or restricted entry for citizens of 19 countries across Africa, Asia (including in particular West Asian nations) and Latin America, putting around 24,000 international students at risk of losing access to US universities, University World News reports.

Soon after the travel ban took effect, the Trump administration issued an ultimatum to 36 nations: tighten security and adopt new vetting measures within 60 days — or face a potential US entry ban by mid-August, according to reports. The list spanned continents, stretching from Angola and Benin in Africa to Cambodia and Bhutan in Asia, and even to the tiny island states of Tuvalu and St. Kitts and Nevis. Countries as varied as Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania and Syria find themselves under pressure, along with others across the Caribbean, Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa — all warned that non-compliance could shut their citizens out of America’s borders.

However, “we’ve received no updates so far regarding the fate of these additional 36 countries,” said Zuzana Cepla Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a coalition of college leaders working to deepen public understanding of immigration policy.

For now, Iran is the most affected, with 12,430 students, followed by Myanmar (3,222), Haiti (883), and Afghanistan (702), according to Open Doors 2024. African students from Sudan, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Somalia, Eritrea and Chad — totalling 1,433 — are also impacted, along with 256 students from Yemen, per the University World News reported.

Partial restrictions affect approximately 5,000 students, including 3,904 from Venezuela and others from Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Turkmenistan, Cuba and Laos. The ban completely blocks entry from 12 countries and imposes partial restrictions on 7 more.

For 21-year-old Bahara Saghari from Afghanistan, the barriers have been deeply personal. With the Taliban blocking women from higher education in her homeland, Saghari had spent years honing her English — up to 8 hours a day — dreaming of studying business at a private liberal arts college in Illinois. But her plans were upended by the US travel ban, which bars most citizens from 19 countries from obtaining new visas.

“You think you’re finally going to your dream, and then something comes up and everything’s gone,” Saghari said.

Thousands of students worldwide face similar disruptions. Seventeen-year-old Pouya Karami from Iran, accepted to study polymer chemistry at Pittsburg State University, had to defer his admission while navigating visa hurdles and lobbying US lawmakers to reconsider the ban. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Gu Gu from Myanmar saw his plans to attend the University of South Florida collapse overnight.

The travel restrictions, announced in June, cite visa overstay concerns and national security risks. They broadly target 12 countries and impose tighter controls on 7 others, including rules affecting student visas. While some exemptions exist for green card holders and dual citizens, most prospective students from affected countries now face uncertainty.

With US doors effectively closed, many students are turning to Europe. Saghari has applied to universities in Germany and Poland, encountering challenges such as language tests, tuition requirements, and credential verification. Iranian researcher Amir, who was set to join the University of Pennsylvania as a visiting scholar, continues his work in Tehran while seeking alternative opportunities in Europe.

“You lose this idealistic view of the world… you learn that maybe people don’t want you there. That’s kind of hard to deal with,” Amir said, capturing the frustration shared by many impacted students.

The travel ban highlights how geopolitical decisions can disrupt the dreams of young people worldwide, as thousands invest years of effort, time, and resources only to find opportunities suddenly blocked.

With agency inputs