The US will 'actively' cancel visas of Chinese university students, states secretary confirms

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The United States has declared it will start “aggressively” revoking the visas of Chinese university students, prompting criticism from the Chinese foreign ministry.

In a statement on Thursday (AEST), secretary of state Marco Rubio said the State Department would work with the Department of Homeland Security to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students”.

Rubio said the US would also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.

Criticising the US for “unreasonably” cancelling Chinese students’ visas, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China had lodged its opposition with the US government.

A woman in a turquoise blazer, standing at a podium, speaking and waving her hand.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has criticised the decision to revoke Chinese student visas. Source: AAP / AP / Liu Zheng

China’s foreign ministry previously vowed to “firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of its students overseas, following the Trump administration’s move to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enrol foreign students.

That move was temporarily blocked by a US judge.

Trump delivers latest lesson to Harvard: don't enrol international students image

Chinese students have long been crucial to US universities, which rely on international students paying full tuition.

China sent 277,398 students in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a State Department-backed report of the Institute of International Education.

International students — India and China together accounting for 54 per cent of them in the US — contributed more than US$50 billion ($77 billion) to the US economy in 2023, according to the country’s commerce department.

Rubio’s statement did not offer details on how extensively the visa revocations would be applied, but the State Department has broad authority to issue and revoke visas.

A man in a black blazer, white shirt and blue tie, speaking in front of an American flag.

Rubio’s statement did not detail how extensively visas would be revoked. Source: AAP / AP / Kevin Wolf

The Trump administration has expanded social media vetting of foreign students and is seeking to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of wide-ranging efforts to fulfil its hardline immigration agenda.

Rubio has already trumpeted the revocation of thousands of visas, largely to international students who were involved in activism critical of Israel.

A cable signed by Rubio earlier this week ordered US embassies and consulates not to allow “any additional student or exchange visa … appointment capacity until further guidance is issued” on ramping up screening of applicants’ social media accounts.