International students say shifting Trump policies have made summer travel, internships and longer-term plans in the United States difficult to commit to. Some have canceled trips home, passed on work opportunities or begun looking at other countries. The uncertainty has reached ordinary decisions.
Saule, an international student who hoped to become a business data analyst, said he and his fiancé had planned to marry, work and start a family in the United States. They now intend to marry during the summer, graduate one year early and move to Europe.
“If you had asked me at the end of 2024 what my plans were, it was to get married, find a great job here in the U.S. and start a family.”
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“Those plans are not applicable anymore. Ask me now, and the plan to leave this place as soon as possible.”
A federal judge blocked one central change before it took effect, leaving students under the existing duration-of-status framework while litigation continues. But questions over travel, reentry and employment remain. Students are making plans against shifting rules.
At the University at Albany, Lily, a Ph.D. student from Bangladesh, said a four-year limit could disrupt a program expected to take six years. Leaving the country, she said, could interrupt her studies, force her to break her lease and require costly airfare while she lives on a limited scholarship.
The judge stopped the four-year limit before it took effect
The Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule in July 2026 that would have replaced the long-standing duration-of-status system. F-1 students could have been limited to four years, even when their academic programs ran longer. Comparable restrictions would have applied to J-1 exchange visitors.
Students needing more time would have had to apply for extensions and face renewed scrutiny. Some could have needed to leave and reenter the United States. The administration’s broader student-visa changes also included reducing the post-program departure period from 60 days to 30 days.
The rule was scheduled to take effect on September 15, 2026. On September 14, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, of the District of Massachusetts, issued a preliminary injunction blocking it. He wrote that DHS relied on “exceptionally weak” rationales and said its national-security justification “borders on the absurd.”
The order is temporary, not a final ruling on the case. The rule drew approximately 22,000 public comments, most opposed to it. Universities and international-education advocates warned that students in Ph.D. programs and other long courses of study could be especially affected.
James Percival, general counsel of DHS, criticized the injunction, saying it required U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to “permit this rampant abuse of our immigration system.” Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, called the change “a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy and fear into a system that has long worked effectively.”
Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said the ruling recognized potential harm to students, universities and the U.S. economy. Some universities had advised students planning to spend the summer abroad to return before the rule’s scheduled start date. The injunction came just before that deadline.
Visa screening and travel restrictions have unsettled trips home
Students have weighed whether to visit relatives, attend weddings or funerals, join summer research and internships, or risk missing the next academic term. Some returned early; others canceled travel because they feared delays or trouble reentering. The choices are personal and immediate.
The State Department reported that student visas issued across college, K–12, vocational and cultural-exchange categories fell 35% in summer 2025 compared with summer 2024. The administration resumed student-visa interviews after a weeks-long pause, adding social-media-account reviews to screening.
DHS figures cited in the research put the number of student visas canceled since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term at more than 8,000. Foreign nationals from 19 countries faced full or partial entry restrictions, adding risk for students traveling outside the United States.
A Stop AAPI Hate survey of international students at 36 colleges and universities found that about 90% feared for their visa status amid changing rules and what respondents viewed as a hostile political climate. The pressure extends beyond college campuses.
An internship memo and a proposed fee are changing work plans
An August 2026 memo from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told universities to authorize Curricular Practical Training only when it was necessary for graduation. The memo warned: “Failure to comply with SEVP regulations may result in an institution losing certification to enroll foreign students.”
The guidance did not create a new regulation, but colleges treated it as a warning of possible legal or administrative consequences. Ohio University and other schools paused or restricted internship-related approvals. Some students then declined internships or questioned whether U.S. employers would hire them after graduation.
Monique Arroyo, an F-1 student, called the restrictions “insane” and said uncertainty made her reluctant to apply for U.S. jobs. That concern now sits alongside a separate proposal aimed at post-study work.
On October 8, 2026, DHS announced a proposed $70,000 fee for each F-1 student participating in Optional Practical Training, or OPT. The college-funded “pay to work” proposal is intended to protect U.S. jobs and reduce fraud. It is a proposal, not a final rule.
The fee could make employers less willing to hire international graduates during or after their studies. In June 2024, Trump had argued for keeping foreign graduates in the country, saying: “You have to be able to recruit these people and keep the people.”
Colleges are tracking fewer applicants and students
Common App data showed first-year international applicants fell 10% for the 2025–26 academic year, with especially steep declines in parts of Asia. The State Department’s visa-issuance figures point to a similar pullback in another measure. Schools are also reporting enrollment pressure.
Rob Odom, vice president of university relations and marketing at Oregon State University, said the institution supported approximately 1,943 international students and their families from more than 100 countries, down from approximately 2,400 in prior years. He cited appointment disruptions, processing delays, travel restrictions, uncertainty about post-graduation immigration, higher costs and competition from countries seen as more affordable or predictable.
NAFSA reported that international students contributed $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 355,736 jobs during the 2024–25 academic year. College leaders have also raised concerns about proposed limits on changing majors or transferring schools, and said uncertainty could lead some U.S. students to consider studying abroad.
Oregon State’s reported international-student population is now about 1,943, compared with approximately 2,400 in prior years. The students and their families represented more than 100 countries.
