Dear Matt,
The calendar now says August! Amazing. And for those of us keenly aware of the impending start of fall classes and the student visa processing issues that still remain, that fact is alarming as well. As we announced with JB International on July 29, visa bans and disruptions in visa interviews and processing could have a significant impact on international student enrollment in the United States this fall, with devastating economic ramifications. Our analysis predicts a potential 30–40 percent decline in new international student enrollment, contributing to a 15 percent drop in overall enrollment. Such an outcome would deprive local economies of $7 billion in spending and more than 60,000 jobs.
These research findings are reinforced by our ongoing review of reports from the field, as highlighted in a new NAFSA blog post, New International Enrollment Predictions – A “Clarion Call” for Action. Be sure to share with anyone in your network who could benefit from a synopsis of what we know now about the facts on the ground and the implications for institutions and local economies.
We explored this research and the resounding need for urgent action by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) in a LinkedIn live event, which you can access on-demand if you missed it. It bears repeating that your advocacy voices are still needed! Join NAFSA and the U.S. for Success Coalition in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prioritize visa appointments and processing for international students and scholars and exempt them from the travel ban. This sample message has been updated with the national economic impact statistics mentioned above. Please take the time to customize it using the state level data available at nafsa.org/fall2025report (which can be viewed by selecting your state from the dropdown menu at the left of the graph).
Visa processing capacity will be further squeezed by the news that starting September 2, DOS will narrow its interview waiver policy for visa renewals. Currently, applicants might renew any visa category (for example, F-1, J-1, H-1B, O-1, etc.) without an interview if their previous visa in the same category expired less than 12 months ago. Under the new policy, only B visa holders and Mexican Border Crossing Card holders will remain eligible for this 12-month interview waiver.
Relatedly, DOS finally updated its Global Visa Wait Times page with a "last updated" date of July 29, 2025. Recall that according to a written response NAFSA received from Consular Affairs, N/A means “that category is not applicable for that post” and “the 'Average Wait Time' (B1/B2) column means we don't calculate for that post. In the other columns, it means that post doesn't provide that service."
In other news, on July 23, NAFSA joined dozens of civil rights and higher education organizations in a letter to the House Appropriations Committee opposing language in the fiscal 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act that would reinstate the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative.” It warns that reviving the China initiative, a program widely criticized and ended in 2022 for targeting Asian American scholars, would renew racial profiling, chill important scientific research, and weaken U.S. innovation and competitiveness.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Send a message to Congress urging their advocacy with Secretary Rubio on the need to make immediate visa processing improvements and exempt F, M, and J visa holders from the travel ban. Customize it to reflect the anticipated economic decline in your state and with your knowledge/examples of students choosing other destinations.
Share our data and advocacy campaign with others on your campus and email the staff of your congressional delegation (email us at [email protected] to request their contact information).
Schedule note: this newsletter will be on hiatus until August 22, to coincide with the Congressional August recess. NAFSA will reach your inbox with any time-sensitive advocacy asks on an as-needed basis!
Be well,
Erica
Erica Stewart
Senior Director, Advocacy & Strategic Communications
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
