Education

International Students at U of I Face Growing Uncertainty Amid State Department’s Vows to Revoke Chinese Student Visas

One international student from China at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign described feeling helpless after learning about recent plans by the U.S. Department of State to revoke Chinese student visas.

“We are just students, we just want to learn something, we just want to do our education, we want to explore our research interests,” said the communications Ph.D. student. WTTW News agreed to not name the student due to fear of retaliation.

The latest announcement is another instance of how growing tensions between the U.S. and China have affected his life while studying in the U.S., the student said, having experienced anti-Asian and xenophobic remarks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, he is among a large community of Chinese students at the University of Illinois facing growing uncertainty while navigating the feasibility of continuing to study in the U.S.

“We did nothing wrong, but we still face pressure, fear and consequences,” he said.

In the Trump administration’s latest attack on international students, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week the U.S. will begin “aggressively” revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in “critical fields.”

State Department officials did not share what the department defines as “critical fields.”

“The United States will not tolerate the CCP’s exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research, intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing last week.

In the announcement, Rubio said the State Department will revise visa criteria to “enhance scrutiny” of future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.

The Chinese graduate student said the announcement has given him second thoughts about traveling outside the U.S. while he completes his degree at the University of Illinois.

“I’m still concerned, but not very anxious because I study the humanities, social sciences; it’s not very sensitive,” he said. “But for my friends in engineering, science or technology, they’re very worried.”

A University of Illinois system spokesperson could not confirm whether Chinese students attending the university system have seen their visas revoked. The system has campuses in Chicago, Champaign-Urbana and Springfield.

The University of Illinois’ flagship campus in Champaign-Urbana is home to one of the largest Chinese student bodies in the country, with nearly 6,000 Chinese students enrolled in the fall, according to enrollment numbers.

Chinese students are the largest group of international students at the University of Illinois, making up nearly half of all international students and 10% of the university’s total enrollment.

Martin McFarlane, director of International Student and Scholar Services at the University of Illinois, described the State Department’s plans as “deeply unsettling,” in a May 29 message to international students from China and Hong Kong with active F-1 and J-1 visas.

“Our international students are deeply valued members of our international community,” McFarlane said in the message to students. “You are an important and needed part of our community, and we are grateful you are here.”

Public research universities with high international student enrollment from China are bracing for what effect the loss of Chinese student enrollment could have on research efforts.

It could also be a major blow to universities’ bottom lines.

International students contributed $2.4 billion in Illinois during the 2023-2024 academic year, according to a study by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

The majority of international students use personal funds as their primary funding source to pay for their education, according to the Institute of International Education, and are likely to pay more in tuition compared to domestic students who might qualify for in-state tuition or federal financial aid.

University of Illinois spokesperson Robin Kaler said in a statement last week that the university “will engage in a thorough analysis” as it seeks clarification on the recent policy announcement.

“International diversity is a foundational element to Illinois’ overall excellence,” Kaler said in a statement. “It keeps our state and nation competitive in the global marketplace and prepares all students – including domestic students – to lead and solve problems in an interconnected world.”

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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