The administration of US President Donald Trump may soon end its temporary restrictions on international student visa applications, a move sure to bring relief to prospective scholars who had secured spots at US universities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month told embassies and consulates around the world to pause new foreign student interviews as the State Department implemented enhanced screening of applicants' social media histories.
Mr Rubio also said he would cancel visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or who are studying in critical fields.
But on Wednesday, Mr Trump said Chinese students would be allowed to attend US colleges and universities as part of trade negotiations with Beijing.
"We will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities," he said on Truth Social.
The Trump administration has taken particular aim at Harvard University, barring it from enrolling international students. Mr Trump has claimed the elite college has too many international students and has harboured anti-Semitism. A judge last month blocked his action against Harvard.
The various directives and decrees relating to international students threw thousands of people's plans into disarray, leaving them uncertain as to whether they would be able to start their courses in the new academic year.
On Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce suggested that embassies and consulates would soon resume interviews for international student visas and said people should start looking for interview spots to open.
"People should watch for those spaces to be open, should continue to apply. This is not going to be a lengthy or an ongoing dynamic," Ms Bruce told reporters. "It was meant for a specific, almost an administrative adjustment."
She said the interview pause was to ensure embassies and consulates knew what to expect in terms of additional vetting.
"And that process, we were told, would be rapid," Ms Bruce said.
A protracted delay in student visas would hurt universities that rely heavily on foreign students' tuition fees.
In 2023-24, the US hosted an all-time high of 1.1 million international students. About 90,000 are from the Arab World, according to estimates, while more than 300,000 are Indian.
The Trump administration's clampdown on international student visa processing caused dismay across campuses in the US and among people hoping to study here.
Dechen Parkel, 21, who is studying at George Washington University in the US capital, said reducing international student numbers would impact campus life for domestic students too. The university enrols about 2,800 students.
"We live in a world where it's like, we're all connected," he said. "It would be sad to see them go, because I just think it's such a cool part of [Washington] DC. ... Being able to interact with people from different cultures is what makes college worth it."
An international student at Harvard said the moves against the university and international students had been demoralising.
"I feel like the visa ban is nonsense as it deprives the smartest students in the country to reach their full potential and finish their studies, and it turns the 'American dream' into an American nightmare," he said. "Morale is definitely down among students as we are all scared not knowing what will come next, but we’re more united than ever.
He said the changing visa regulations had impacted him personally as he is now afraid to leave the US over fears he would be denied re-entry.
China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the US, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 academic year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up about a quarter of all foreign students in the US.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
More from our Neighbourhood series:
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
