The United States has revoked more than 6,000 international student visas in 2025, citing criminal activity, immigration violations, and terrorism-related concerns, the State Department confirmed this week.
According to officials, about 4,000 visas were canceled after students were linked to offences such as assault, burglary, and driving under the influence (DUI). A further 200 to 300 visas were rescinded under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that broadly define “support for terrorism”—though U.S. authorities have not clarified what qualifies under the designation.
The action forms part of the Trump administration’s wider crackdown on immigration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling lawmakers in May that the government intends to continue expanding visa cancellations.
As part of the tougher measures, the State Department has introduced enhanced social media screening. Student visa applicants are now required to make their online profiles publicly visible so that consular officers can examine any signs of “hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.”
Critics warn the new measures risk eroding due process and free speech protections, particularly as some students who took part in pro-Palestinian campus protests have been accused of antisemitic behavior and had their visas revoked.
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The cancellations represent only a small share of the more than 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. institutions during the 2023–24 academic year, according to Open Doors, an organization that tracks foreign enrolments.
Still, the scale of the revocations underscores the administration’s determination to curb foreign student entry at a time of heightened political debate over immigration and national security.
Sources: Reuters, Washington Post, The Guardian
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