January 15, 2026: This Week in International Student News
- Carrie Circosta
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Surprise! I'm in your inbox on a Thursday night.
I know, I usually send out the newsletter first thing Thursday mornings. I'll be honest...it's been a busy week. Time just got away from me.
But there is still plenty of news going on...so let's say this edition is for the night owls out there! (I'm a night owl person myself)...
Here's what I'm covering this week:
📰 Top Headlines: This week’s biggest stories hit three pressure points at once—visa enforcement is ramping up, Venezuelan students are trying to make sense of a suddenly shifting political reality, and new data is hinting at a potential slowdown in international master's student demand in the U.S. If you’re wondering what’s changing (and what might be next), I got you covered.
💰 Scholarship Spotlight: A well-known fellowship program is putting real funding behind international women pursuing graduate and postgraduate study in the U.S.—and it’s one worth bookmarking if you’re planning ahead.
🔍 Interesting Find: I stumbled on a century-old international student story that’s equal parts fascinating and heartbreaking—and it’s a reminder that studying abroad has always come with real risk, not just big dreams.
⚡ Deep Dive – Immigration Corner: Immigrant vs. nonimmigrant visas: what’s the difference, which categories fall into each bucket, and why that one word in a headline matters.
Still sipping coffee...morning, noon, or night...
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐
Best Links for International Students
📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK
🪪 Trump Administration Revokes More Than 100,000 Visas in First Year Back
Fox News reports the State Department revoked more than 100,000 visas in 2025—more than double the roughly 40,000 revoked in 2024—following a Day 1 executive order focused on tougher foreign vetting. The article says most revocations involved business and tourist visas tied to overstays, but it also reports about 8,000 students and 2,500 specialized workers lost visas, with a spokesperson saying many of those cases involved criminal encounters. (Fox News)
🇻🇪 What Maduro’s seizure means for Venezuelan students abroad
The U.S. capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3 has sent shockwaves through Venezuelan communities worldwide, including students studying overseas.
Venezuelan student mobility has already been under pressure for years, with 3,886 Venezuelans studying in the U.S. last year and fewer than 2,500 Venezuelan students registered in SEVIS as of last month. On U.S. campuses, the reaction is split: some Venezuelan students feel a cautious hope that returning home could one day be possible, while others worry that the country’s instability — and U.S. involvement — could make the future even more chaotic. For Venezuelan students abroad, the big takeaway is that the headlines may be historic, but the decision to return (or not) will still come down to stability, safety, and what rebuilding actually looks like.
🇺🇸 U.S. international master’s enrollments projected to drop 15% in 2025/26
A new report cited by The PIE News says international master’s enrollments in the U.S. are now forecast to fall by 15% in 2025/26—about 64,000 fewer students than earlier projections. The article attributes the expected decline largely to uncertainty around immigration policy, and notes that nearly half of U.S. institutions surveyed expect international graduate application volumes to decrease this year. International students have been a key driver of overall master’s growth since 2018/19 (as domestic enrolments dipped), and warns that the impact could be especially significant in STEM master’s programs, where international students make up large shares of graduates in fields like software engineering and computer science. (The PIE News)
🎓 FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
AAUW International Fellowships (Graduate Study in the U.S.)
AAUW’s International Fellowships support international women pursuing graduate or postgraduate study in the United States. The program is designed for students who plan to study full-time and can be a strong option for those looking for funding support beyond university-based aid. Awards and eligibility details vary by applicant and program, so students should review the official guidelines closely before applying. (AAUW)
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
🧾 A 1918 International Student’s Story Resurfaces — Buried Far From Home
Modesto Lopez, a 35-year-old student from Spain, arrived at Elon University in North Carolina by way of Cuba in the late 1910s. Archivist Randall Bowman says Lopez was on campus around the same time as Toshio Sato (Elon’s first international graduate, class of 1920), but Lopez never got the chance to finish—he died on Oct. 11, 1918 after the flu developed into pneumonia during the 1918 influenza pandemic. The university learned from the Spanish Consulate that Lopez was buried locally (see a photo of the tombstone in the article), likely because global travel and repatriation were extremely difficult during World War I and the pandemic. It’s hard not to feel a gut-punch looking at his tombstone — a reminder that international students have long made enormous journeys to study in the U.S., often carrying real risk alongside their hopes. (Elon News Network)
News in 1 Sentence
Immigrant visa issuances will be paused starting January 21, 2026, for immigrant-visa applicants who are nationals of dozens of listed countries (interviews can still be scheduled and attended), with an exception for dual nationals applying with a passport from a non-listed country.
Penn offered support to Venezuelan students after U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro, with Penn’s CaseNet team and International Student and Scholar Services emailing select students to share academic and wellness resources and encourage them to confirm their safety.
Japanese students entering the U.S. on student visas fell by about 3,000 in 2025 (with 26,635 entries by November, 2,945 fewer than the prior year), according to U.S. Commerce Department entry data cited by The Asahi Shimbun.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
Understanding the Differences Between Immigrant vs. Nonimmigrant Visas
Recent headlines about changes to immigrant visa processing have left a lot of students wondering: Does this affect me?
The answer depends on what kind of visa you have—because “immigrant” and “nonimmigrant” visas are two different categories with two different purposes.
Immigrant visas: For permanent residence
An immigrant visa is for someone who intends to move to the United States permanently. In most cases, immigrant visas are connected to becoming a lawful permanent resident (getting a green card).
Common immigrant visa pathways include:
Family-sponsored immigrant visas
Employment-based immigrant visas (often referred to as EB categories)
The Diversity Visa (DV) program
Certain special immigrant categories
Nonimmigrant visas: For temporary stays
A nonimmigrant visa is for someone coming to the United States temporarily for a specific reason—like studying, working, visiting, or participating in an exchange program.
Many international students fall into this category, including:
F-1 (academic students)
M-1 (vocational students)
J-1 (exchange visitors)
Other common nonimmigrant visas include:
B-1/B-2 (business/tourism visitors)
H-1B (specialty occupation workers)
Note: The H-1B visa is a dual intent visa, meaning while it's considered a nonimmigrant visa, you can still apply for permanent residency.
O-1 (individuals with extraordinary ability)
L-1 (intracompany transferees)
TN (certain Canadian and Mexican professionals)
E-2 (treaty investors)
So why does this matter right now?
When a headline says “immigrant visa processing” is changing, it’s usually referring to visas tied to permanent immigration—not student visa categories like F-1, M-1, or J-1.
That’s why reading the words “immigrant” vs. “nonimmigrant” closely can completely change what a policy update means for you.
One more important detail: Nationality can affect visa processing
Visa policies and processing updates can sometimes apply to specific nationalities, depending on the government action and the visa type involved.
For example, the U.S. Department of State has published country-specific announcements related to visa issuance, like this notice on the suspension of visa issuance to certain foreign nationals: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/suspension-of-visa-issuance-to-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states.html
Bottom line: knowing whether your visa is immigrant or nonimmigrant—and paying attention to updates that mention specific countries—can help you interpret visa headlines more accurately.
SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!
Disclaimer: International Student Voice is not an immigration attorney or immigration advisor. The purpose of this newsletter is strictly educational. Always consult with qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your situation.
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