Several Quinnipiac University international students faced challenges obtaining their student visas for the 2025-26 school year as a result of pause on student-visa interviews and more in-depth checks.
The pause lasted from May 27 to June 18, leaving students to have a delay in obtaining their visa and many having to defer to the spring semester, including Quinnipiac students. Other factors contributed to these difficulties as well, causing some to be denied their visa altogether. Overall, Quinnipiac saw around 40 potential graduate students not receive their visas.
This has affected international students trying to attend schools across the U.S. For comparison, last year, “more than a million international students studied in the U.S., contributing about $43 billion into the U.S. economy,” according to NPR.
But this year, NPR cited a predicted drop of about “150,000 new international students this fall, leading to a decline of about 15% overall. If that happens, local economies could lose as much as $7 billion in spending and more than 60,000 jobs.”
THE PROCESS
After a student is accepted into the university, they are required to provide documents to the international admissions team in order to process the I-20 immigration document — this includes their passport and proof of funding.
“With the I-20 in hand, they begin the F-1 visa application process by paying the SEVIS I-901 fee and completing the DS-160, the online nonimmigrant visa application,” Director of International Students and Scholars Sarah Driscoll wrote in an email to The Chronicle.
Students end up paying over $400 in fees.
“Students pay the $350 SEVIS fee, fill out and submit the DS-160 form online, pay the $180 visa fee,” first-year master’s in informatics-health track graduate student Hellen Mwangi wrote.
They then move on to scheduling an interview at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in their home country. The interview results in one of three different colored slips, each with a different outcome — blue (visa approved), pink (visa denied) or yellow (administrative processing required before visa approval).
“At the interview, they present various documents to the consular officer and answer questions about their academic plans, ties to their home country, and how they intend to fund their education,” Driscoll wrote. “The interview is typically three minutes or less. If approved, their passport is returned with the F-1 visa stamp, allowing them to travel to the U.S. to attend QU.”
VISA CHALLENGES
Visa-related challenges are not new.
“Visas can be denied for a variety of reasons, but some of the most common issues are if the applicant doesn’t clearly demonstrate they intend to return home after their studies, inadequate financial support, prior visa violations or concerns raised during background checks. Students that were denied do have the ability to apply for a visa again, and we have certainly had students be approved on their second or third attempt,” Driscoll wrote.
However this year, the process was increasingly challenging.
Several factors led to delays in visa approval or denials. Once the visa pause was lifted it was increasingly difficult for students to schedule their interviews.
“Some of our incoming students were denied their visa attempt, but the majority needed to defer the attendance because there was not an appointment available by the start of the fall term,” Driscoll wrote.
Many also faced challenges this year after a new layer of social media screening was put in place. Students were required to make all of their social media accounts public in order to be looked at.
“Students who received blue (approval) or yellow (administrative processing) slips were also given a white slip, requiring them to submit all their social media handles for additional security screening,” Mwangi wrote.
Not only did it lead to more denials, but many students are not comfortable with public accounts.
“I didn’t put all of them like the ones that I use the most, and my Instagram account was private,” sports journalism graduate student Giulia Zoli said. “I hated putting it on public.”
Mwangi furthered this sentiment.
“Social media screening also adds extra pressure, making many students more cautious about how they express themselves online, hence limiting freedom of expression as international students,” she wrote.
Even after obtaining their visas, students still faced challenges while travelling.
“At the border, students also faced tighter inspections compared to previous years,” Mwangi wrote. “Altogether, these changes led to fewer F-1 visa approvals and greater uncertainty for international students.”
IMPACT ON QU STUDENTS
Quinnipiac students from a variety of countries experienced these challenges first-hand.
Mwangi, from Kiambu, Kenya and first-year business analytics major Grace Kanengoni from Zimbabwe both received their visas at the end of July.
Kanengoni noted that “the visa process has been easy in the past years,” but not anymore. This year “in Kenya, the number of approvals was one third of the average number of F-1 approvals in the other years.”
“I understand the government’s need to protect its borders, but the current process can feel overwhelming and discouraging to international students who sacrifice a lot financially in this entire process of attaining USA education and then end up getting denials because of political affiliations rather than academic abilities,” Mwangi wrote.
For Zoli, coming to Quinnipiac from Brazil, changes occurred after her visa was already approved. When going to have her visa printed, she was informed of the changes to social media screening, delaying her approval process.
Prior to obtaining a student visa, Zoli had a work visa approved, however some of her coworkers were unable to obtain theirs after the country was impacted.
Brazil faced challenges as a result of the Trump administration’s actions.
“The Trump administration, they put some embargoes on Brazil,” Zoli said. “They put like taxes in retaliation for us prosecuting our former president, and one of those were making the process a bit more difficult for us to get any type of visa in the beginning of the year.”
This came not as a surprise to Zoli, but rather an upset.
“The Trump administration, they’re very bold,” Zoli said. “They do whatever they want with whoever they want.”
Driscoll ensures that through any of these challenges, the OISS is here to help and guide students.
“The Office of International Student Services (OISS) and International Admissions remain committed to supporting our international students every step of the way,” Driscoll wrote. “While visa policies and procedures may shift, thousands of international students continue to receive F-1 visas and begin their studies in the U.S. every year. We remain optimistic and confident in our international Bobcats’ ability to join us on campus and thrive.”
But while Quinnipiac employees remain optimistic, students are still uncertain.
“Honestly there is nothing Quinnipiac can do about the visa challenges,” Kanengoni wrote. “It feels like we are the last group of international students because it’s now hard or impossible to get the student visa.”
