30 Senators Press State Department To Clear Student Visa Backlog Before Classes Start

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony with Paraguayan Vice President Pedro Alliana on strategic civil nuclear cooperation, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Thirty senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on August 11, 2026, demanding the State Department restore priority to F, M, and J visa interviews before the fall term begins.

Led by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), the group wrote in the letter (PDF File) that "no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates" during peak application season. They gave the department 30 days to answer 10 questions covering staffing, interview slot allocation, and the guidance sent to consular posts since August 2025.

The push lands as international enrollment already drives job cuts and program closures at U.S. universities.

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Why It Matters

International students made up about 6% of U.S. higher education enrollment but contributed nearly $43 billion to the economy in 2024-2025 and supported more than 355,000 American jobs, according to the letter.

Most pay full out-of-state or international rates, subsidizing the price domestic families pay, as we reported in how colleges build and inflate their sticker prices. Research the senators cite found that for every additional international undergraduate at a public university, two more in-state freshmen can enroll.

When that revenue disappears, the gap gets closed with tuition hikes and cuts, and the average cost of college keeps climbing.

What The Senators Are Asking For

Restore consular priority to interviewing and adjudicating student visas in time for the school yearExtend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicantsResume publicly posting monthly visa issuance data by category, paused since September 2025Disclose all guidance sent to embassies on prioritizing or deprioritizing student visas since August 2025Report average F, M, and J processing times at the five busiest posts, month by monthReport how many applications were refused under the new online presence vetting rules, by reason

How This Connects

The squeeze started with the 2025 policy shift (a May 27 to June 18, 2025 pause on student visa interviews followed by social media vetting for all applicants) which cut new student visas 35.6% last summer.

The effects show up in university budgets now: UT Arlington projected a $13 million to $15.6 million tuition revenue loss for fiscal 2026, and DePaul laid off 114 staff. Schools facing similar shortfalls appear in our tracker of colleges closing and merging in 2026 and in Syracuse's first budget deficit in years.

The 30-day clock puts a written response due around September 10, 2026 — after most fall terms begin. NAFSA modeling reported by Inside Higher Ed projects visa delays could cut international enrollment 15% next year and erase roughly $7 billion in spending.

Watch whether the Department of State resumes monthly reporting, and whether interview waivers get extended before spring applications open. Students already enrolled who need funding should compare international student loan options, since most require a U.S. cosigner.

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