The U.S. President issued a proclamation that suspends the entry into the U.S. of Chinese nationals who either receives/received funding from, currently is or was employed by, studies/studied at, or conducts/conducted research at on behalf of an entity in the PRC that supports the PRC’s military-civil fusion strategy and is seeking entry under an F or J visa to study or conduct research in the U.S.
The U.S. government did not release a list of associated entities that would be included in this suspension. ISS advisers do not know which entity affiliations could result in a visa denial.
F and J undergraduate students are exempt from this proclamation. Other exceptions include:
- Any graduate student or researcher who does not currently have or previously had funding, employment, study, or research connections with an entity in the PRC that implements or supports the PRC’s military-civil fusion strategy.
- U.S permanent residents and spouses of U.S. citizens
- Individuals whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designee.
The immediate impact will be on visa applications for Chinese nationals seeking an F or J visa for graduate level studies in the U.S. Students planning to apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa, either renewing or for the first time, should be prepared to answer potential related questions.
Reentry to the U.S. is also in question, so students with an unexpired F-1 visa should also be prepared to answer related questions at the U.S. border.
The proclamation indicates the Secretary of State shall consider whether Chinese nationals currently in the U.S. who meet the criteria described should have their visas revoked, but it does not state visas will be revoked.
Chinese graduate students who are already in the U.S. may continue their studies.
ISS remains committed to supporting and informing international students during this challenging time. We will continue to monitor government announcements and information for updates, and we will continue to advocate on behalf of our students and international education.