US visa policy and rise of new academic orders

This article is authored by Gunwant Singh, scholar, international relations and security studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

President Donald Trump’s second-term administration has embarked on a dramatic overhaul of the US foreign student visa regime, signaling a new phase in the country’s immigration and education policy. These changes, announced over the first half of 2025, represent the most extensive rollback in decades of America’s role as the global leader in higher education. From suspending new visas for certain universities, including a brief ban targeting Harvard, to implementing sweeping social media surveillance, the administration has shown a clear intent to politicise and securitise student inflows. What was once a meritocratic and relatively open system has now become fraught with ideological scrutiny and administrative unpredictability, transforming the landscape of global higher education and prompting shifts that could redefine international academic mobility for years to come.

US Visa(Representational Image)

In June 2025, the Trump administration issued a proclamation temporarily barring new F, M, and J visas for students attending institutions deemed non-cooperative or ideologically problematic, with Harvard being controversially singled out. The justification cited concerns over national security, political activism, and infiltration by hostile actors. This move was paired with the rollout of aggressive new vetting procedures that compel foreign applicants to disclose social media handles and online activities, with discretionary visa rejections being issued for applicants expressing views contrary to what is now labelled ‘American constitutional values.’ Students from China, particularly in STEM fields, have been disproportionately affected, with additional scrutiny being directed at those with links to Chinese government-affiliated institutions. Similarly, pro-Palestinian activism has been flagged by visa officers as a potential basis for denial or revocation.

These developments have introduced a chilling effect among aspiring international students. The US, long considered the apex destination for higher learning, innovation, and research collaboration, is no longer viewed as a predictable or safe environment by a growing number of students and their families. Universities in the US are already experiencing a downturn in international applications, with early 2025 data showing declines in graduate STEM enrollments from key countries such as India, China, and South Korea. Academic institutions reliant on foreign students for tuition revenue and research output are sounding alarms about future financial instability and diminished global competitiveness. Top-tier US universities face mounting legal challenges against the administration’s policies, but the political messaging has been unmistakable: Foreign students are now a strategic filter point in America’s broader ideological recalibration.

As the US tightens its doors, other nations are positioning themselves to benefit from this vacuum. Canada has enhanced its immigration-to-education pipeline, streamlining pathways for international students to attain permanent residency. Australian universities have revived aggressive outreach programmes, while the United Kingdom, in its post-Brexit realignment, is offering more flexible visa norms and post-study work options. Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scandinavian countries are scaling up English-language graduate programmes, many with substantially lower tuition costs and a less adversarial immigration regime. These countries are not merely alternative destinations; they are increasingly perceived as stable, inclusive, and academically dynamic, providing an environment of intellectual freedom and cross-cultural engagement that is no longer guaranteed in the US.

India, in particular, is uniquely positioned to gain from the evolving global realignment of educational flows. As a major source of international students and a rising knowledge economy, India can leverage the moment to become both a sending and receiving hub. Indian students, who traditionally gravitated toward American universities for STEM and management studies, are now exploring options in Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, India’s top-tier institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, and new central universities can attract talent from neighboring countries and the Global South by promoting transnational academic programs, English-language instruction, and competitive research opportunities. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 already envisions India as a global study destination, and this geopolitical opening provides the momentum to actualise that vision. Furthermore, as Indian diaspora students face uncertainty abroad, New Delhi can deepen its education diplomacy and build new regional education corridors aligned with its strategic interests in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

This moment also signals a potential shift in the geography of elite academia. For over a century, the Ivy League has functioned as a quasi-sacred brand in global education combining prestige, wealth, and influence. Yet prestige is not immutable. As US universities become embroiled in political policing and uncertainty, top students and faculty may pivot toward emerging centers of academic excellence. Universities in Canada, Australia, Germany, and Singapore are already attracting scholars with robust funding, transparent governance, and academic freedom. Institutions such as the University of Toronto, ETH Zurich, the University of Melbourne, and the National University of Singapore are being considered serious alternatives to their American counterparts, particularly for research-intensive programmes.

While it is difficult to replicate the financial endowments and alumni networks of Ivy League institutions overnight, global alternatives are maturing rapidly. These universities are developing their brand equity through Nobel-calibre research, global partnerships, and diaspora-driven innovation. Some countries are even pursuing the creation of transnational education cities such as Education City in Qatar or the Knowledge Hub in Egypt designed to host world-class institutions under one roof. Over the next decade, these emerging ecosystems may not just rival, but in some cases outpace the traditional Ivy League in specific fields such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, and public health.

The Trump administration’s recalibration of foreign student policy may offer temporary political capital at home, but its global impact is transformative in ways that undercut American influence. By closing its doors to global talent under the guise of ideological purity and national security, the US risks diminishing its greatest soft power asset: Its higher education system. The fallout is not limited to universities alone. Scientific research, medical innovation, and global business leadership all of which draw heavily from immigrant talent trained in US institutions face long-term erosion.

Other nations, particularly those with stable democratic systems and global academic ambitions, are rising to fill the void. They stand to gain not only economically, but in soft power and human capital. India, with its vast educational network and strategic positioning, can also emerge as both a beneficiary and a bridge in this realignment. And as new academic superclusters gain ground globally, the mythos of the Ivy League will increasingly share the stage with new contenders. The US, once the undisputed beacon of global scholarship, is now at risk of becoming just another gatekeeper in a world where academic excellence knows no borders.

This article is authored by Gunwant Singh, scholar, international relations and security studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.