The United States’ stringent travel restrictions have thrown thousands of international students into uncertainty, as delayed visas and administrative roadblocks threaten their academic plans. Once a magnet for global talent, American universities now grapple with disrupted admissions and anxious families, with President Donald Trump’s travel ban turning education into an unexpected casualty of geopolitical tensions.
For Bahara Saghari, a 21-year-old from Afghanistan, the dream of higher education was already fraught with obstacles. With the Taliban barring women from attending college at home, she dedicated years to mastering English, sometimes practicing up to eight hours a day. Her efforts paid off when she earned a place to study business administration at a private liberal arts college in Illinois. But just as she was preparing to start this fall, her plans were once again upended but this time by the U.S. travel restrictions under President Trump.
“You think that finally you are going to your dream, and then something came up and like, everything’s just gone,” Saghari said, quoted by AP.
Saghari is far from alone. Thousands of students from multiple countries are caught in the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s travel restrictions, many left in uncertainty after years of preparation and substantial financial investment to pursue their studies in the United States.
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In Myanmar, one 18-year-old student’s family had prioritized his education above all else, saving diligently to give him the opportunity to study abroad. The student, who requested to be identified only by his nickname, Gu Gu, out of concern for potential repercussions from either the Myanmar or U.S. governments, described the sacrifices his family made for a better future. When he shared his acceptance letter to the University of South Florida in a family chat, it was met with an outpouring of excitement. But just as he awaited news of his visa appointment, a late-night conversation with his mother brought devastating news: the U.S. travel ban had arrived, abruptly derailing his plans to begin classes this fall.
While the 17-year-old Pouya Karami from Iran, who earned admission to study polymer chemistry at Pittsburg State University, was forced to postpone his enrollment. He now faces the dual challenge of securing a visa and appealing to U.S. lawmakers in hopes of having the travel restrictions reconsidered.
The United States has long attracted students from around the world seeking advanced research opportunities, professional degrees, and a broad spectrum of academic programs. But recent travel restrictions covering 12 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean have blocked many from enrolling in U.S. institutions while enforcing stricter measures on seven more nations. Last year alone, over 5,700 F-1 and J-1 visas were issued to applicants from these nations between May and September, with a majority going to students from Iran and Myanmar, as per AP. The sudden enforcement of the ban has slowed visa processing at embassies and left universities facing unexpected gaps in their incoming classes.
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Also, the students who have been in the U.S. has also 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,” said expert 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 student visa interviews were halted for three weeks this summer to roll out a new social media screening process. According to Spreitzer, these delays are preventing many students from starting or continuing their studies as scheduled, compounding the uncertainty created by stricter immigration policies and increased scrutiny.
Announced in June, the travel restrictions were justified by concerns over visa overstays and national security. With opportunities in the U.S. closed, many students are looking to Europe instead. Saghari, for instance, has submitted applications to universities in Germany and Poland, facing new hurdles like language proficiency exams, tuition obligations, and document validation processes.
For students like Saghari and Gu Gu, the U.S. travel restrictions are more than policy, they are a barrier to dreams built over years. The bans have left families in limbo, forced students to reconsider their futures, and disrupted the academic journeys of thousands who had looked to America as a gateway to opportunity. As international talent looks elsewhere, the ripple effects extend beyond individual aspirations, signaling a profound shift in the global perception of the U.S. as a welcoming hub for education and innovation.