South Dakota hits: International students fall amid crackdown and visa delays

International student numbers are falling in 2025 across the United States, and South Dakota colleges are seeing the same pressure. The decline tracks with an immigration-crackdown feel on the ground: tougher federal visa policies, visa-appointment backlogs, and higher uncertainty for students planning to study in the U.S.

If you’re an international student, a parent, or a South Dakota campus leader, this matters because visa timing and policy signals now shape whether students arrive on time—or choose another country.

What’s driving the 2025 decline (what you should know first)

Before the timeline, here are the forces showing up repeatedly in 2025:

• Visa processing slowdowns and bottlenecks: F-1 (academic), M-1 (vocational), and J-1 (exchange) visas depend on consular interviews and security screening. When interview capacity drops or requirements expand, students miss start dates.
• Expanded vetting, including social-media screening: Added screening steps increase review time and uncertainty for students who already face strict documentation rules.
• Policy anxiety tied to enforcement signals: Students react quickly to news of tougher enforcement and travel restrictions. Many defer, cancel travel, or pick universities in other countries.
• Mixed local outcomes inside South Dakota: Statewide headlines can hide campus-by-campus changes. Some South Dakota programs reported increases in specific graduate segments even while other areas declined.

Timeline: How the decline built up (nationally and in South Dakota)

What the numbers mean for you in South Dakota (student-focused)

If you’re planning to study in South Dakota, the biggest practical takeaway is that visa timing and predictability matter as much as admission.

How the 2025 environment changes your planning:

• You need a wider timing buffer for interviews and visa issuance. A tight timeline that worked in prior years now breaks when interview slots disappear or extra screening slows the case.
• Treat “start date risk” as real. Even students with strong academic profiles can miss the first week—or the whole term—because the visa process moves too slowly.
• Plan for alternate arrival options if your school allows it. Many schools use late arrival policies, deferrals, or online start options for limited situations. Your Designated School Official (DSO) can tell you what your South Dakota campus accepts.

⚠️ Important: Your F-1 status and SEVIS record depend on school rules and reporting. If you can’t arrive on time, contact your DSO immediately so your record stays accurate.

What the decline means for South Dakota colleges (operational and financial)

South Dakota institutions feel this in several ways:

• Enrollment management stress: Programs that depend on steady international intake can shrink quickly when fewer students arrive.
• Higher workload for international offices: More appointment problems and student anxiety produce more urgent advising needs.
• Greater exposure for tuition-dependent units: Moody’s and other analysts have flagged higher risk for schools that rely heavily on international tuition if the trend continues.

South Dakota’s public system has infrastructure that helps, including the South Dakota Board of Regents’ System International Employment Services (SIES), which supports visa-related employment, work authorization, and tax issues for international students and staff. That support helps students stay compliant, but it cannot change federal interview capacity or vetting rules.

Where policy groups say fixes should happen (and what to ask for)

NAFSA’s recommendations provide a clear policy checklist to use when speaking with campus leadership or elected officials:

• Increase visa availability and processing for F, M, and J categories.
• Exempt F/M/J students from travel bans affecting nationals of 19 countries, while keeping vetting in place.
• Protect OPT access for eligible students who want U.S. work experience after graduation.
• Preserve Duration of Status (D/S), which lets F-1 students remain in the U.S. while they maintain status, rather than tying status to a single fixed expiration date.

If you want South Dakota-specific impact, ask campus leaders to connect these federal points to local outcomes:

• Missed arrivals and delayed research starts
• Teaching and lab staffing gaps
• Reduced tuition revenue

What you should watch next (so you can plan with real data)

Track multiple signals together for better decisions:

• South Dakota Board of Regents updates and campus enrollment releases, especially international headcounts by program level.
• SEVIS updates, with extra care because 2024–25 comparisons were affected by revisions after the undercount.
• Department of State visa-issuance and interview capacity trends for student visas. Start at the official U.S. Department of State travel site: https://travel.state.gov.
• NAFSA follow-ups as new term data settles and institutions reconcile arrivals, deferrals, and no-shows.

Practical next steps you can take this week (students and campuses)

• If you’re a student admitted to a South Dakota school:
  1. Confirm your program start date, latest arrival date, and deferral options in writing with your DSO.
  2. Schedule your visa steps around that confirmed window.
• If you work at a South Dakota campus:
  • Build a simple “visa risk calendar” for Fall and Spring intakes that maps when students need interviews, when bottlenecks typically hit, and what your deferral and late-arrival rules are.
• If you need more immigration explainers:
  • For practical immigration guides, visit VisaVerge.com.

Key takeaway: Plan earlier, build timing buffers, and keep clear written communication with your DSO and campus leadership to reduce the risk that visa delays will disrupt enrollment or studies.