International student arrivals to the US fall by 19%

https://thepienews.com/international-student-arrivals-to-the-us-fal...

New federal data has revealed a 19% year-on-year decline in international students entering the US in August 2025, including a 45% drop from India, America’s largest sending country.

In real terms, 33,285 less Indian students arrived in the US this August compared to last, typically the highest month for travel before the start of the fall semester.

“It’s a toxic combination of both visa challenges and declining interest, but visa uncertainty is the primary driver,” Nikhil Jain, founder & CEO of ForeignAdmits Indian education consultancy told The PIE News.

Jain said he’d seen a 30% dip in US master’s applications, highlighting a lack of visa appointments following the US suspension of global visa interviews preventing students enrolling this semester.

After India, the arrivals figures from the US International Trade Administration (ITA), highlighted considerable declines from other major source countries, with China and South Korea seeing respective drops of 12% and 11%. The data does not include students arriving from Canada and Mexico.

The largest percentage decreases were for students coming from Iran (86%), Syria (63%) and Nigeria (48%), with the latter making up the seventh largest source country for the US.

By region, Africa recorded the largest drop of 32%, followed by 24% less students from Asia and 17% from the Middle East. Latin America saw a 9% decline, while Europe and Oceania remained just below last year’s levels.

Notably, the data does not distinguish between new student arrivals and existing students who need a visa to return to the US. Thereby, the 19% decline may in part reflect the reluctance of existing international students to leave the US over the summer, fearing they couldn’t return.

Jain’s reports of declining master’s applicants ring true with the results of a recent survey in which one in four US graduate schools said they experienced lower than average master’s acceptances this year, though the survey closed before many delayed students could accept offers.

The findings follow unprecedented political hostility towards international students from the Trump administration, the cumulative effect of which, “could be a generational inflection point – like how the post-9/11 visa restrictions created lasting behavioural changes”, said Jain.

“The issue isn’t about students doubting the quality of US education – it’s about their trust in America’s commitment to them,” he continued.

Such volatility has led to enhanced scrutiny of international student enrolments and exposed inadequacies in datasets the sector relies on.

As Boston College professor Chris Glass told The PIE: “This is a moment to pause and a moment to realise we need better data … We need data that’s actually going to help institutions make decisions.”

Typically, the US state department releases near real-time data on visa issuance to new students, but this has not been updated since before the visa suspension in May, when 22% fewer visas were issued.

Recently released SEVIS data showed an 0.8% rise in total international students this year, going against widely held expectations of a 15% decline.

Many have pointed to the fact that the SEVIS figures include OPT participants in student counts, which could be “overinflating” the data, though Glass has argued that, to mask enrolment declines of 10-15%, OPT would have to had grown by up to 400,000 in a single year – something he deemed “unlikely”.

While the exact data picture in the US is still emerging, reports from Indian education consultancies reinforce the declining arrivals data, with Namita Mehta, president of The Red Pen, highlighting a “noticeable decline in US applications across all levels of higher education.”

US, PAKISTAN OPEN NEW HUB FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE IN ISLAMABAD


https://dnanews.com.pk/us-pakistan-open-new-hub-for-educational-exc...

ISLAMABAD, DEC 8 /DNA/ – U.S. Embassy Islamabad’s Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) Natalie A. Baker joined Minister of State for Education Wajiha Qamar as they inaugurated a new purpose-built building of the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) in Islamabad, marking a major milestone in the longstanding U.S.-Pakistan educational partnership. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright program in Pakistan.

CDA Baker noted that as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the new USEFP building will highlight America’s founding ideals and global impact, using this milestone to further strengthen U.S.-Pakistan relations.

Designed to serve as a central U.S.-supported resource for learning and exchange, the new USEFP building is a five-story, 9,755-square-meter complex which will expand access to educational resources, empower Pakistani students and educators, and foster innovation. By bringing together EducationUSA advising services, a Lincoln Corner, training spaces, and public programs under one roof, the building will equip Pakistan’s next generation with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a global economy.

CDA Baker and Minister of State Qamar officially opened the building during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. U.S. Department of State’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Sherry Keneson-Hall, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Shelly Seaver, USEFP Executive Director Peter Moran, USEFP Chair Kamal Uddin Tipu, artist and poet Dr. Raja Changez Sultan, and many distinguished guests from Pakistan’s academic and government sectors also attended the event.

Speaking on the occasion, CDA Baker emphasized the long-term impact the new public building will have on advancing education in Pakistan and strengthening the U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relationship. “This is more than a building. It is a symbol of the deep commitment both the United States and Pakistan have to education, innovation, and building a safe, stronger, more prosperous future together. It will also be used as a public space for Pakistanis to learn more about the United States and a place where people can come to exchange ideas on issues that affect us all,” she remarked.

Established in 1950 as a binational commission, USEFP promotes mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchanges and is one of 49 Fulbright Commissions worldwide. More than 9,000 Pakistanis and nearly 1,000 Americans have participated in USEFP-administered exchanges, enriching academic and cultural ties between the two countries.

Reko Diq Mining, F-16 Upgrade Sales, IMF Tranche: Pakistan Secures Major Deals from Trump Admin

https://thewire.in/south-asia/riko-diq-mining-f-16-upgrade-imf-tran...


In a significant shift in bilateral relations, Pakistan has secured nearly $2-billion worth of commitments from the United States within a span of days, signalling a potential thaw in ties under the Trump administration that could reshape regional dynamics.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States approved $1.25 billion in financing for Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper-gold mining project in Balochistan on December 10, marking one of the largest American economic engagements in Pakistan’s mineral sector. The US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker explicitly stated that forging such deals has become “central to American diplomacy” under the Trump administration, emphasising the strategic importance of critical minerals for American security and prosperity.

The Reko Diq financing will enable up to $2 billion in American mining equipment and services for the project, expected to create 6,000 jobs in the US and 7,500 in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, Dawn reported. The $7 billion project, being developed by Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold in partnership with Pakistan’s government, is projected to produce 200,000 metric tons of copper annually and generate $2.8 billion in export revenue in its first year of shipment.

Just two days earlier, on December 8, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a $686 million sale of advanced technology for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets. The package includes 92 Link-16 tactical data link systems and comprehensive upgrades aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and extending aircraft life through 2040, as per a Dawn report. Notably, Pakistan had requested these upgrades in 2021 during a period of strained relations, but Washington delayed its response until now.