# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article “US visa hell” by Rafia Zakaria, Published in Dawn on May 31st, 2025:* The article discusses the *Trump administration*’s sudden *pause on visa interviews* for *international students* (*J, M, and F visa categories*), disrupting thousands accepted into U.S. degree programs for *September 2025*. This move, driven by a policy to exclude students with *anti-American views* (e.g., *pro-Palestine sentiments*), expands the requirement for *social media handle scrutiny*, introduced during Trump’s first term and continued under *Biden*. The pause aims to intensify applicant vetting, with *President Trump* emphasizing that students must “love our country” to prevent threats like “exploding shopping centers.” The policy faced legal challenges in *2019*, and a *2023 Knight First Amendment Institute* report deemed it ineffective, yet the administration persists. *Secretary of State Marco Rubio* announced plans to *revoke visas* for *Chinese students* linked to the *Chinese Communist Party* or in *critical fields* like tech and engineering, potentially affecting *270,000 Chinese students* and straining *U.S.-China relations* amid tariff disputes. The halt impacts the *U.S. economy*, as international students contributed *$44 billion* and thousands of jobs in *2023–2024*. Trump’s criticism of *Harvard University*, where *over 25%* of students are international, reflects his push for *American prioritization*, appealing to his *anti-intellectual base*. The pause also threatens the *U.S. healthcare system*, reliant on *foreign medical graduates* for residency programs, leaving *thousands of spots unfilled*. The article argues that these policies undermine America’s *meritocratic reputation* and *research edge*, transforming it from a *progressive intellectual hub* into a *right-wing, narrow-minded fortress*, with long-term damage to its global standing in *technology* and *innovation*. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: The *Trump administration* paused *visa interviews* for *international students*, affecting thousands set to study in the U.S., to scrutinize *anti-American views* via *social media*. Targeting *270,000 Chinese students* and others, the move could leave *U.S. healthcare residency spots* vacant and hurt the *$44 billion* student-driven economy. Criticizing *Harvard*’s foreign student intake, Trump’s policy risks America’s *research* and *meritocratic reputation*, turning it into a *right-wing fortress*. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Reverse Visa Pause* Lift the *visa interview pause* to allow *international students* to join U.S. programs without delay. ## *2. Reform Vetting Process* Replace *social media scrutiny* with transparent, evidence-based security checks to avoid bias. ## *3. Protect Healthcare System* Prioritize *visa approvals* for *foreign medical graduates* to fill critical *residency program* gaps. ## *4. Engage Universities* Collaborate with institutions like *Harvard* to balance *international* and *American* student admissions fairly. ## *5. Mitigate Economic Impact* Highlight the *$44 billion* contribution of *international students* to counter *anti-foreign* policies. ## *6. Ease U.S.-China Tensions* Negotiate with *China* to protect *student exchanges* amid *tariff* and *visa disputes*. ## *7. Strengthen Legal Challenges* Support groups like *Knight First Amendment Institute* to challenge ineffective *visa policies* in court. ## *8. Promote Global Image* Launch campaigns showcasing the U.S. as a *meritocratic hub* for *research* and *education*. ## *9. Address Anti-Intellectualism* Counter *Trump*’s base by educating the public on the value of *international talent*. ## *10. Diversify Visa Pathways* Create alternative *visa categories* for *students* and *researchers* to bypass restrictive policies. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: - *Trump administration* paused *visa interviews* for *J, M, and F visa* applicants (*international students*). - Over *270,000 Chinese students* study in the U.S., at risk of *visa revocation*. - *International students* contributed *$44 billion* to the U.S. economy in *2023–2024*. - Over *25%* of *Harvard University*’s student body is *international*. - *Social media handle scrutiny* began in *Trump*’s first term, continued under *Biden*. - *Knight First Amendment Institute* found the *social media policy* ineffective in *2023*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: - *1.1 million international students* were in the U.S. in *2023–2024* (*IIE Open Doors*). - *Chinese students* make up *25%* of U.S. international students (*IIE*, 2024). - *U.S. healthcare* relies on *7,000 foreign medical graduates* annually (*ECFMG*, 2024). - *F-1 visa* issuance dropped *20%* during *Trump*’s first term (*U.S. State Department*). - *35%* of U.S. STEM graduate students are international (*NSF*, 2023). - *Harvard*’s international students contribute *$1 billion* annually to the economy (*Harvard*, 2024). # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *What visa categories were affected by the Trump administration’s pause?* A. H-1B, L-1 *B. J, M, F* C. B-1, B-2 D. K-1, K-3 ### 2. *How much did international students contribute to the U.S. economy in 2023–2024?* A. $20 billion *B. $44 billion* C. $60 billion D. $10 billion ### 3. *What percentage of Harvard’s student body is international?* A. 10% *B. Over 25%* C. 50% D. 5% ### 4. *Who announced plans to revoke visas for Chinese students?* A. Donald Trump *B. Marco Rubio* C. Joe Biden D. Wang Yi ### 5. *What institute criticized the social media scrutiny policy in 2023?* A. Brookings Institution *B. Knight First Amendment Institute* C. Heritage Foundation D. Cato Institute # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Abrupt* (اچانک) – Sudden or unexpected 2. *Cohort* (گروہ) – Group with shared characteristics 3. *Scrutiny* (جانچ پڑتال) – Close examination or inspection 4. *Attributed* (منسوب) – Regarded as caused by 5. *Revoke* (منسوخ کرنا) – Officially cancel or withdraw 6. *Negates* (رد کرنا) – Nullifies or contradicts 7. *De-escalate* (کشیدگی کم کرنا) – Reduce tension or conflict 8. *Tariffs* (محصولات) – Taxes on imports or exports 9. *Consulates* (قونصل خانے) – Diplomatic offices abroad 10. *Appease* (مطمئن کرنا) – Satisfy or pacify 11. *Anti-intellectual* (دانش مخالف) – Opposing intellectual pursuits 12. *Meritocratic* (میرٹ پر مبنی) – Based on ability and achievement 13. *Haven* (پناہ گاہ) – Safe place or refuge 14. *Banishment* (جلاوطنی) – Expulsion or removal 15. *Retrogressive* (رجعت پسند) – Backward or regressive 16. *Enmity* (دشمنی) – Hostility or opposition 17. *Accede* (ماننا) – Agree or yield to demands 18. *Fortress* (قلعہ) – Strongly defended place 19. *Pipeline* (دور رس) – In process or development 20. *Edge* (برتری) – Advantage or superiority # *Chart of International Student Contribution to U.S. Economy* Below is a chart illustrating the *economic contribution* of *international students* to the U.S. economy in *2023–2024*, as mentioned in the article, compared to a prior year for context. ```chartjs { "type": "bar", "data": { "labels": ["2022–2023", "2023–2024"], "datasets": [{ "label": "Economic Contribution ($ Billion)", "data": [40, 44], "backgroundColor": ["#ff6f61", "#6b7280"], "borderColor": ["#ff6f61", "#6b7280"], "borderWidth": 1 }] }, "options": { "scales": { "y": { "beginAtZero": true, "title": { "display": true, "text": "Contribution ($ Billion)" }, "max": 50 }, "x": { "title": { "display": true, "text": "Academic Year" } } }, "plugins": { "legend": { "display": true, "position": "top" }, "title": { "display": true, "text": "International Student Contribution to U.S. Economy" } } } } ``` --- 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. Please be reminded not to remove the attribution label affixed to this article. It is crucial to acknowledge the source and the effort invested in creating this summary. We discourage any unauthorized distribution without proper credit. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 🔍 ⚡ *Explore More Summaries, Solutions, and Vocabulary Meanings* 💡 Join our WhatsApp Channel for timely and comprehensive summaries of the latest articles, along with well-crafted solutions and helpful vocabulary meanings. Click the link below to join now 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link*: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y) --- *www.dawn.com* *US visa hell* *Rafia Zakaria* *5–6 minutes* THIS week, the Trump administration imposed an abrupt pause on visa interviews for international students wanting to study in the US. The move comes at a crucial time since the hundreds of thousands of international students that have been accepted to degree programmes in America are currently applying for visas so that they may begin their studies in September. Now their prospects appear grim if not completely doomed. Central to the Trump administration’s war on international students is the idea that the latter cohort should not have any anti-American views, such as support for Palestine. The requirement for visa applicants to turn in their social media handles was put in place during the first Trump administration and was continued during Joe Biden’s presidency. This policy is going to be expanded and the pause in interviews is being attributed to the administration’s move to scrutinise applicants more closely. President Donald Trump wants international students who “can love our country. We don’t want to see shopping centres exploding”. The move was legally challenged in 2019. In 2023, the Knight First Amendment Institute, an American think tank at Columbia University obtained government documents showing that the policy was ineffective. However, such assessments are not likely to stop the administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced that the US would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students”, including for those who had links with the Chinese Communist Party or those working in “critical fields”. This means tens of thousands of Chinese students working in tech and engineering fields could lose their visas and be sent back to China. Over 270,000 Chinese students study in the US. The targeting of Chinese students was met with opposition by China, particularly since it negates US efforts to de-escalate tensions with Beijing following the tariffs that President Trump imposed, and then later reduced, recently. In the long term, the damage will be to America itself. In the meantime, US consulates all around the world have been instructed to halt visa interviews for J, M and F applicants. The student visa stoppage could have a considerable impact on the US economy. Figures show that in 2023-2024, international students contributed about $44 billion to the American economy and created thousands of jobs. None of this seems to affect the Trump administration, however. Statements by President Trump, particularly in relation to his ongoing enmity with Harvard University, suggest that he does not like foreign students studying at Ivy League campuses. Trump’s battle with Harvard, which refused to accede to his demands to allow scrutiny of its admission policies, hit an obstacle last weekend when a federal judge pulled the plug on the government’s bid to stop the university from enrolling foreign students. President Trump has criticised the fact that over a quarter of Harvard’s student body is made up of foreign students; he wants more American students. These sorts of statements are part of an effort to appease his anti-intellectual support base that sees elite institutions like Harvard as sidelining natural-born Americans in favour of foreign students. Meanwhile, the US healthcare system relies on foreign medical graduates in its residency programmes. In exchange for training and a basic strategy, these foreign medical graduates provide relatively low-cost labour to keep the US healthcare system going. The pause in granting these visas means that when medical training begins this year, thousands of spots will be unfilled because trainee doctors would not have been able to obtain their visas. This less-discussed aspect of the pause in visa interviews and grants is likely to have a huge impact on the US healthcare sector, unless it is halted. Not only do such moves spell doom for the careers of doctors and students who thought they were headed to the US, they are also going to destroy America’s reputation as a meritocratic haven for research and educational achievement. In the short term, these moves will only impact the unlucky ones whose visas are still in the pipeline. In the long term, however, the damage will be to America itself. The banishment of so many students and researchers will mean that the US will lose its edge in the very fight over technology and research advancement that it is seeking to win. America, once a haven for progressive intellectual achievement and innovation, has, within the space of a few grim months of the Trump administration, been transformed into a right-wing fortress of narrow-minded, morally bankrupt and retrogressive ideas. The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy. [email protected] Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025