Visa Delay Could Put 2,000 Foreign Graduate Students at Risk at New Hampshire College
WASHINGTON — A New Hampshire college could lose as many as 2,000 international graduate students if the Department of Homeland Security does not approve a pending request tied to a new doctoral program by July 1, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said during a congressional hearing.
Shaheen raised the issue during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal 2027 budget request, pressing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for an update on New England College’s application to enroll F-1 international students in a new Doctorate in Business Administration program.
“As I explained on the phone, there is real urgency about this because, without approval by July 1st, they’re going to potentially lose 2,000 students, graduate students,” Shaheen said.
Shaheen said the college prepares students for careers in artificial intelligence, national security, health care management and other high-demand fields. She said the school also plays an important role in the local community and New Hampshire’s economy.
“This is a university that prepares students for jobs in artificial intelligence, national security, health care management, a lot of other high-demand, high-skill professions,” Shaheen said.
Shaheen asked whether DHS could provide clarity on the status of the school’s request, saying the college had not yet received a response from the department.
Mullin said the department was aware of the issue and had begun looking into it.
“We’ve got the point of contact. We’d asked for the point of contact for the college; I believe we did receive that, and we give it to USCIS,” Mullin said.
He said the matter had been discussed only days earlier and that he would seek an update from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“I don’t think there’s going to be much of one, because we just talked about this Thursday, I believe, and so I think we’re working on it,” Mullin said.
When Shaheen said the college had still not heard from DHS, Mullin pledged to follow up quickly.
“If they haven’t heard back from them I will — they will hear back from them today — not — well, tomorrow,” he said.
The exchange underscored the role international students play in U.S. graduate programs, particularly in science, technology, business and health care fields. The F-1 visa program is the main pathway for foreign students studying in the United States.
India is one of the largest sources of international students in the United States, with many Indian students enrolled in graduate programs in technology, engineering, business and artificial intelligence. (Source: IANS)
