Tuberville Bill Seeks Visa Ban, Enrollment Cap

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has introduced the Student Visa Integrity Act, which would ban citizens from China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela from obtaining student visas to study at U.S. colleges, citing national security and the displacement of American students. The bill also allows the Secretary of State to designate additional adversarial countries, caps overall international student enrollment, increases penalties for visa fraud, and requires universities to disclose ties to the Chinese government. Tuberville contends that students from these nations could use acquired skills against the U.S. and claims Americans are being crowded out. Research suggests that higher international student enrollment does not reduce opportunities for American students and may boost STEM degrees earned by Americans. Critics label the bill discriminatory and note that Chinese student enrollment is already declining, with India now the leading source of international students in the U.S. The legislation reflects a broader movement to tighten restrictions on foreign students amid rising geopolitical tensions.