The report published by Shorelight and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration highlights a concerning trend in F-1 student visa denials for students from Africa and South America who wish to study in the United States, NBC News reported. Over the 7-year period from 2015 to 2022, the number of F-1 student visa denials has risen. South American students experienced a significant increase in denials, with their F-1 visa denial rate jumping from 10% to 24% in the eight-year period. On the other hand, students across Africa, with the exception of four countries in southern Africa, faced the highest denial rates among all regions.
The State Department issued the most student visas in a year from 2016 to 2022, with 30,781 F-1 visas approved for applicants from African countries, the highest number in the previous six fiscal years. The researchers estimated that the disparity in visa denial rates resulted in about 92,000 "missed opportunity students" who were potentially eligible to study in the U.S. but were unable to do so due to denials.
The reasons behind the denials are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with some students possibly failing to meet the requirement surrounding "the presumption of immigrant intent," meaning they may not have demonstrated sufficiently strong ties to their home countries to qualify for a nonimmigrant visa. The report challenges long-held assumptions about F-1 visa denials, suggesting that even when students from sub-Saharan Africa are academically prepared and have secured adequate funding, 40% were still denied a student visa.
Despite the disproportionately high visa denial rates for African students, the rate at which African students are enrolling in U.S. universities and colleges is outpacing other international students, reflecting a high demand for a U.S. education from African students. The researchers stress that the U.S. is potentially missing out on qualified future talent from Africa due to these visa denials. They warn that if the trend continues, other countries may compete for the emerging talent pool from the largest continent.
Jill Welch, a senior policy adviser at the Presidents' Alliance, emphasises the strategic importance of welcoming students from around the globe for the United States in terms of security, foreign policy, and economic progress. The inability to secure a visa should not hinder qualified students from pursuing an educational degree in the U.S.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Threads pages to keep up to date on world news.
Comments (0)