By Li Xirui
NEW YORK, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- For international students and foreign workers, the current U.S. administration's tightening of visa policies has introduced a new degree of uncertainty that is now reshaping the flow of global talent to the United States across both campuses and the broader economy.
New international student enrollments in the United States fell 17 percent in the fall semester, marking the largest non-pandemic decline in more than a decade, according to new data released Monday by the Institute of International Education's (IIE) Fall 2025 Snapshot survey of more than 825 colleges and universities.
Among institutions reporting declines, 96 percent said visa application concerns contributed to the drop, while 68 percent cited travel restrictions. Yet this downturn comes even as 84 percent of universities say international recruitment remains a priority, and 78 percent report that financial support for recruitment is the same as or higher than last year.
"International students come to the United States to advance their education and contribute to U.S. colleges and communities," said Jason Czyz, IIE president and CEO. "This data highlights the impact international students have in driving innovation, advancing scholarship, and strengthening cross-cultural understanding."
The downturn, coupled with new limits on visas, added screening requirements for F-1 students, and a newly imposed entry fee for H-1B applicants, has heightened anxiety for students hoping to work in the United States as well as for those already navigating the system.
Universities also highlighted the critical role of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in attracting international students seeking work experience. Schools report that the program provides economic benefits to U.S. businesses, and 92 percent say that without OPT, international students would likely choose to study in other countries.
"A close read of enrollment figures from last year and this fall shows that the pipeline of global talent in the United States is in a precarious position," said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, in a statement.
"The United States must adopt more proactive policies to attract and retain the world's best and brightest and recognize that post-study work opportunities are essential to our standing as the top destination for global talent. Otherwise, international students will increasingly choose to go elsewhere -- to the detriment of our economy, excellence in research and innovation, and global competitiveness and engagement," she said.
This enrollment decline carries deep economic consequences, with a NAFSA report, also published Monday, estimating a 1.1 billion U.S.-dollar loss to the U.S. economy due to fewer international students. According to NAFSA, international students contributed nearly 43 billion dollars to the U.S. economy and supported more than 355,000 jobs in the 2024-25 academic year.
India and China remain the top two sources of international students in the United States, accounting for 30.8 percent and 22.6 percent respectively, according to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, which was released on Monday. However, Chinese enrollment recorded a 4.1 percent decline from the 2023-2024 academic year, adding to concerns about the long-term stability of the global talent pipeline.
For H-1B visas, India was the largest beneficiary in the fiscal year 2024, accounting for 71 percent of the approved beneficiaries, while China was a distant second at 11.7 percent, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
Students and early-career workers say the uncertainty is reshaping their decisions about whether to stay, study or build a future in the United States, complicating a pathway that once reliably moved graduates from OPT into H-1B sponsorship.
For F-1 international students, the Trump administration has introduced additional screening requirements and proposed rules that would impose further restrictions on OPT and tighten the duration of student visas.
Uncertainty has also intensified for foreign workers. The administration's new H-1B policy, which imposed a 100,000-dollar entry fee for applicants, took effect on Sept. 21. The rule has heightened anxiety for those who typically move from F-1 status to OPT and then to H-1B sponsorship, a pathway that has long been central to retaining international talent in the United States.
"I feel like the OPT-to-H-1B path is becoming less and less attainable," said Irina, an international student pursuing a computer science master's degree at the University of California, Berkeley. "At this point, all I can really do is keep improving my skills, explore alternative pathways for high-skilled workers, and stay open to returning to my home country if the timing is right."
According to an updated USCIS guidance on H1-B policy on Oct. 20, this new 100,000-dollar payment is not required for petitions requesting an amendment, extension, change of employer, or change of status within the United States. Nevertheless, the uncertainty created by the Trump administration is one of the major sources of pressure for international students.
The most recent shift in President Donald Trump's stance toward the H-1B program came during a Fox News interview aired on Nov. 11, where he defended the visa category by arguing that the United States lacks workers with "certain talents" needed to fill key jobs.
For Jess Zhu, a 27-year-old communications professional in New York, the changing tone from Washington was not surprising. Zhu came to the United States at 18, studied at an American university, and worked her way through internships and full-time jobs before securing an H-1B visa. She said the new data showing a decline in international students "doesn't surprise" her, because she has seen her own career path slowly disappearing.
She had recently been laid off and was already bracing for a difficult job search under the shadow of the new proclamation. ■