October 9, 2025: This Week in International Student News
- Carrie Circosta
- Oct 9
- 5 min read
Here's a piece of news this week that made me go, "YAAAS! That makes sense!"
California just passed a law requiring streaming ads to match the volume of your show—no more getting blasted awake by screaming commercials during your late-night Netflix binge.
If only we had a simple solution to the other headlines circling international students...this week's newsletter covers:
📰 Top Headlines: Higher ed groups sue Trump over $100K H-1B visa fee, 200+ international students trapped in US after visa revocations, and the White House proposes 15% cap on international students at nine universities
💰 Scholarship Spotlight: LewerMark + CCID $4K Global Impact Scholarship for community college international students
🔍 Interesting Find: Maine high schoolers get three weeks off school every fall to harvest potatoes (yes, really)
⚡ Deep Dive: Immigration Corner: Optional Practical Training (OPT) under fire—the latest on congressional bills, tax proposals, and surprise government inspections
TU-DUMMM....
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐info@istudentvoice.com
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📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK
🎓 Higher Ed Groups Sue Trump Over $100K H-1B Visa Fee
Well...folks got it wrong. The $100K H-1B fee does apply to universities and non-profits. Now, major higher education organizations are taking the Trump administration to court, saying the fee would devastate university hiring and research. The American Association of University Professors, graduate student unions, and other groups filed a lawsuit alleging the policy is unconstitutional and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. Universities like Stanford (500 H-1Bs in the first 9 months of FY 2025), Columbia, and Washington University in St. Louis—where 46% of grad students are international—face massive financial hits. The lawsuit argues the administration "failed to consider how extorting exorbitant fees will stifle innovation" and seeks to block the policy immediately. (Higher Ed Dive, Forbes)
🚫 Over 200 International Students "Trapped" in US, Sue the Trump Administration
Even though the Trump administration restored SEVIS records for thousands of international students after losing court battles, they're still refusing to reinstate visas—leaving over 200 students effectively trapped in the country. Two lawsuits filed by immigration lawyers argue that while students can legally stay in the country through SEVIS, they can't leave and return without valid visas. "I can't visit home because of my visa revocation," one anonymous student told The Hill. "It feels like I'm trapped here." The State Department revoked more than 6K visas under the "Student Criminal Alien Initiative," which ran 1.3 million student names through criminal databases without individualized review—a move lawyers say is unlawful. Lawyers estimate it could take 6 months to a year to resolve these cases, and the government shutdown is delaying proceedings even further. (Yahoo News/The Hill)
🎓 White House Proposes 15% Cap on International Students at Nine Universities
The Trump administration sent a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" to nine universities proposing a 15% cap on international undergraduates, with no more than 5% from any single country. The memo targets Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, UPenn, USC, MIT, UT Austin, University of Arizona, Brown, and UVA—schools where international students currently make up over a quarter of the student body at some institutions. Universities that sign on would get "multiple positive benefits" including access to federal loans, research funding, and visa approvals. But there's a catch: colleges must freeze tuition for five years, ban race or sex in hiring, mandate standardized testing, abolish DEI units, and share all international student data—including discipline records—with DHS and the State Department upon request. The memo also says international students should be "supportive of American and Western values" and requires screening out students who "demonstrate hostility to the United States." For schools already above 15%, incoming classes must meet the new cap. The compact could eventually extend to all US universities, fundamentally reshaping international enrollment across the country. (Reuters, The PIE News)
🎓 FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
$4,000 Global Impact Scholarship for Community College International Students
LewerMark Student Insurance and Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) just launched the 2025 Global Impact Scholarship—and it's open to creative submissions! International students at CCID member colleges can submit essays, videos, artwork, or music answering this year's theme: "How will you make a difference in the world with your international education?" Prizes range from $1K to $4K. The deadline is November 23, 2025, with winners announced the week of March 1, 2026. Check if your community college is a CCID member and get those creative juices flowing! (CCID Scholarship Details, Member College List)
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
🥔 Maine High Schoolers Get Three Weeks Off School for... Potato Harvesting?
I thought this was amazing... could this be adapted in some way for universities and nearby farms? Every fall since the 1940s, students in Aroostook County, Maine, get a three-week break from school to help harvest potatoes—and it's not just a quirky tradition, it's a rite of passage. High schoolers earn about $19/hour picking rotten spuds and rocks off conveyor belts starting as early as 5:30 a.m. About 75 students still work the harvest, though some school boards have debated canceling the break due to costs. The tradition may be fading, but for now, it's still teaching Northern Maine teens what hard work really means. (Maine Public)
News in 1 Sentence
International student arrivals to the US dropped nearly 20% in August 2025—the steepest decline since the pandemic—driven by visa delays, travel bans on 19 countries, and heightened vetting under the Trump administration.
China launched a new "K-visa" to attract young STEM professionals without requiring a job offer, sparking massive backlash on social media from unemployed Chinese youth who face 18.9% unemployment and worry that foreign talent will worsen their job prospects.
The University of Illinois faced scrutiny after its Master's in Accounting program website suggested priority for international students (particularly from India), though the university claims the language was misinterpreted and the program is open to all.
Despite fears about the proposed 5% country cap at US universities, according to this Forbes contributor, current Indian undergraduate enrollment (36,000) is only 10% of the theoretical capacity under the cap, meaning there's still plenty of room for growth at "good" colleges.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
Optional Practical Training (OPT): The Latest News for International Students
As many of us know, optional practical training (OPT) is a work authorization program that allows international students on F-1 visas to gain practical work experience in their field of study. Students can work for up to 12 months after graduation, and those in STEM fields can extend that to 36 months.
According to the 2024 Open Doors Report, approximately 200,000 international students are currently using OPT in the United States. It's one of the most valuable benefits of studying in the US, allowing graduates to gain American work experience and potentially transition to long-term employment.
Right now, OPT is facing unprecedented threats from multiple directions. Congressional bills aim to eliminate it entirely, new tax proposals would slash your take-home pay, and surprise government inspections are ramping up across the country.
Because there is just so much going on, I thought it would be helpful to summarize what the latest news is regarding OPT, where things stand now, and what may be changing.
Shoot. The article may be out of date as I hit "send" this morning. But hey...this is where we are now to my knowledge...and you can count on the latest in next week's issue with the latest updates.
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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.