Foreign Student Arrivals Plummet To Four-Year Low As Trump Tightens Visa Rules

Foreign student arrivals to the U.S. fell to the lowest level recorded in four years amid the Trump administration’s visa crackdown, Bloomberg News reported Monday.

Just over 313,000 international students entered the U.S. in August, a 19% drop year-over-year, a Bloomberg News analysis of International Trade Administration data found. The drop marked five consecutive months of declines, leaving overall student arrivals down nearly 12% so far this year through August.

Arrivals from Asia, which account for most foreign students, fell by 24% in August as Indian student arrivals dropped 45% and those from China fell 12%, according to Bloomberg. Africa saw the largest percentage fall of any region, down 33%, while Western Europe remained largely flat, with a decrease of less than 1%, according to the outlet.

The downturn coincides with the Trump administration’s rollout of stricter immigration measures, including new restrictions targeting foreign students. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a new rule in late August, capping the length of time foreign students can remain in the country, closing a loophole that officials say has allowed some foreign nationals to become “forever students.”

The rule limits the length of stay for international students to the duration of the academic program, but not beyond four years. After that, students would have to reapply to remain in the country, allowing DHS to review their cases regularly.

The Trump administration