US Revokes 6,000 Student Visas Amid Tighter Vetting

The US State Department has cancelled more than 6,000 visas issued to international students, citing breaches of US law, overstays and national security concerns, reported BBC.

According to officials, the majority of revocations were tied to criminal offences including assault, drink-driving and burglary. Between 200 and 300 visas were withdrawn under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that define terrorism broadly as acts endangering human life or otherwise violating US law.

According to BBC, the department did not spell out what it meant by “support for terrorism”. However, it has been reported that some students involved in pro-Palestinian protests were among those targeted, with the Trump administration arguing that their actions amounted to antisemitic behaviour.

Of the total, about 4,000 visas were cancelled on criminal grounds. A State Department spokesperson told BBC that officers had been instructed to identify applicants who advocate for, aid or support designated terrorist groups, or who engage in unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.

The policy shift is part of a broader tightening of student visa rules. Earlier this year, the State Department paused all visa appointments for students. When appointments resumed in June, applicants were required to make their social media accounts public for enhanced vetting. Those who kept accounts private risked being deemed as attempting to conceal activity, reported BBC. Screening guidelines also required officers to look for “indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in May that thousands of student visas had already been revoked since January and that the department expected to continue rescinding more. “We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities,” Rubio said.

The move has drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue that the administration’s actions undermine due process. More than 1.1 million international students from over 210 countries were enrolled in American universities and colleges during the 2023–24 academic year, according to Open Doors, which tracks student mobility.

The visa cancellations have coincided with a wider campaign against US universities. President Donald Trump has accused elite institutions of tolerating antisemitism and of being too left-leaning. According to BBC, the administration froze hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for universities, including $2.65bn allocated to Harvard. It also attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students, although that measure has been temporarily halted by a federal judge.

In parallel with the revocations, the State Department resumed student visa processing with stricter rules on social media disclosure. The new guidance applied not only to F visas for academic study but also to M visas for vocational students and J visas for exchange visitors. Officers were instructed to screen for support of terrorism and for antisemitic threats, with the administration presenting the rules as part of its daily effort to keep the country secure.