In the past few months, media reports have emerged of hundreds of international students from dozens of American universities having their visas revoked for no apparent reason. They may face deportation under Trump’s aggressive push on illegal immigrants.
In a few cases, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted raids at campuses across the country, arresting international students.
The atmosphere amid the tit-for-tat tariff war between Washington and Beijing has further declined as China’s countermeasures extend beyond trade.
Chinese authorities last week issued warnings to people planning to travel or study in America “due to the deterioration of Sino-US economic and trade relations, and the domestic security situation in the US”.
Since Trump started his second term, there has been apparent panic among Chinese parents who had planned to send their children abroad for education, with some changing their attitudes towards studying in the US, according to Shanghai-based study-abroad agent Yulin, who asked that only her given name be used.
She said the parents of applicants for overseas study had “clearly” stated that their children’s “preparations should switch from Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum to International Baccalaureate (IB) or A-level”.
The AP curriculum and exams are usually used for applying to universities in the United States, while the IB and A-level are used for Europe, including Britain.
