China's Ministry of Education issued a warning yesterday (June 3rd) aimed at potential US-bound international students. The alert, which states that Chinese students have encountered visa restrictions, delays, shorter validity periods and a high rate of rejections, has been widely reported in local news and circulated on social media. The MoE has also recently reported that 13.5 per cent of students funded by the China Scholarship Council to study in the US in the first quarter of 2019 were unable to go due to visa issues, more than four times the proportion in 2018.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

The MoE's announcement has been widely discussed on Chinese social media and is likely to contribute to a growing perception of the US as an unwelcoming destination for Chinese students. The ongoing trade war between China and the US is already starting to affect student mobility, and the British Council's discussions with agents suggest that some students who were formerly considering studying in the United States have switched their attention to other countries such as the UK, Australia or Canada. This has been particularly common in high-technology subject areas where the US imposed tighter visa restrictions last year.

Although the short-term impact of this announcement is likely to be positive for the UK it also illustrates the effect that diplomatic disputes can have on Chinese student mobility and the value of a diversified international student population.

Sources

China Daily – Ministry of Education warns of study risk in US: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201906/03/WS5cf4d780a310519142700c45.html

Beijing Youth Daily – Some US visas restricted, Ministry of Education issues overseas study warning (in Chinese but more detailed): http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2019-06/04/content_329406.htm