US journey ban hits worldwide college students, leaves them struggling halfway

The United States’ stringent journey restrictions have thrown hundreds of worldwide college students into uncertainty, as delayed visas and administrative roadblocks threaten their educational plans. Once a magnet for international expertise, American universities now grapple with disrupted admissions and anxious households, with President Donald Trump’s journey ban turning schooling into an surprising casualty of geopolitical tensions.

For Bahara Saghari, a 21-year-old from Afghanistan, the dream of upper schooling was already fraught with obstacles. With the Taliban barring girls from attending faculty at dwelling, she devoted years to mastering English, generally working towards as much as eight hours a day. Her efforts paid off when she earned a spot to review enterprise administration at a personal liberal arts faculty in Illinois. But simply as she was getting ready to begin this fall, her plans have been as soon as once more upended however this time by the U.S. journey restrictions underneath President Trump.

“You think that finally you are going to your dream, and then something came up and like, everything’s just gone,” Saghari stated, quoted by AP.

Saghari is much from alone. Thousands of scholars from a number of nations are caught within the ripple results of the Trump administration’s journey restrictions, many left in uncertainty after years of preparation and substantial monetary funding to pursue their research within the United States.

READ: U.S. ends third-country visa choices, sparking confusion and doubts over advantages (September 9, 2025)

In Myanmar, one 18-year-old pupil’s household had prioritized his schooling above all else, saving diligently to present him the chance to review overseas. The pupil, who requested to be recognized solely by his nickname, Gu Gu, out of concern for potential repercussions from both the Myanmar or U.S. governments, described the sacrifices his household made for a greater future. When he shared his acceptance letter to the University of South Florida in a household chat, it was met with an outpouring of pleasure. But simply as he awaited information of his visa appointment, a late-night dialog together with his mom introduced devastating information: the U.S. journey ban had arrived, abruptly derailing his plans to start courses this fall.

While the 17-year-old Pouya Karami from Iran, who earned admission to review polymer chemistry at Pittsburg State University, was pressured to postpone his enrollment. He now faces the twin problem of securing a visa and interesting to U.S. lawmakers in hopes of getting the journey restrictions reconsidered.

The United States has lengthy attracted college students from world wide looking for superior analysis alternatives, skilled levels, and a broad spectrum of educational packages. But latest journey restrictions protecting 12 nations throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean have blocked many from enrolling in U.S. establishments whereas implementing stricter measures on seven extra nations. Last yr alone, over 5,700 F-1 and J-1 visas have been issued to candidates from these nations between May and September, with a majority going to college students from Iran and Myanmar, as per AP. The sudden enforcement of the ban has slowed visa processing at embassies and left universities going through surprising gaps of their incoming courses.

READ: Trump-era visa crackdown could backfire, US college students face international pushback (September 3, 2025)

Also, the scholars who’ve been within the U.S. has additionally face this raid. “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,” stated professional Sarah Spreitzer of the American Council for Education. “Students were suddenly forced to end their studies and return to their home countries,” as quoted by NH Digital.

The challenges intensified when pupil visa interviews have been halted for 3 weeks this summer time to roll out a brand new social media screening course of. According to Spreitzer, these delays are stopping many college students from beginning or persevering with their research as scheduled, compounding the uncertainty created by stricter immigration insurance policies and elevated scrutiny.

Announced in June, the journey restrictions have been justified by issues over visa overstays and nationwide safety. With alternatives within the U.S. closed, many college students wish to Europe as an alternative. Saghari, as an example, has submitted purposes to universities in Germany and Poland, going through new hurdles like language proficiency exams, tuition obligations, and doc validation processes.

For college students like Saghari and Gu Gu, the U.S. journey restrictions are greater than coverage, they’re a barrier to desires constructed over years. The bans have left households in limbo, pressured college students to rethink their futures, and disrupted the tutorial journeys of hundreds who had regarded to America as a gateway to alternative. As worldwide expertise seems to be elsewhere, the ripple results lengthen past particular person aspirations, signaling a profound shift within the international notion of the U.S. as a welcoming hub for schooling and innovation.