New Report Finds Disproportionate F-1 Visa Denials in Africa and the Global South

For Immediate Release: July 26, 2023

Contact: Jason Koh, Jason@presidentsalliance.org

New Report Finds Disproportionate F-1 Visa Denials in Africa and the Global South

Washington D.C. – The Presidents’ Alliance and Shorelight released a new report providing a data-driven lens to a widely-reported trend where students from the Global South are denied visas to study in the U.S. at disproportionately higher rates than the rest of the world. The Interview of a Lifetime: An analysis of visa denials and international student flows to the U.S. report seeks to support evidence-based policymaking by examining visa adjudication trends spanning an eight-year period between 2015 and 2022, a period that spans three presidential administrations.

“There is much hand-wringing about why the U.S. is not attracting more international students and yet–as our new and first-ever analysis shows–there is global talent that is eager and poised to study and succeed in the U.S., yet is turned away,” said Rajika Bhandari, Senior Advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance. “International students today overcome many hurdles to study in the U.S., but a visa represents the ultimate barrier to entry that can thwart the dreams and potential of these students while also shortchanging U.S. institutions, the workforce, and our economy. Everybody loses when a well-qualified student is denied a visa.”

The report’s findings reveal that F-1 student visa denials have grown significantly in the past eight years. In 2015, higher rates of F-1 visa denials were primarily clustered in Africa (with the exception of South Africa), South Asia, and parts of the Middle East. By 2022, F-1 visa denials were seen across much of the world, with the exception of Australia, China, Brazil, South Africa and some European countries. During this eight-year period from 2015 to 2022, visa denial rates for African countries remained the highest.

“This report shows a clear pattern of disparate outcomes, and we are eager to work with the higher education community and the government to address the root causes,” said Jill Welch, Senior Policy Advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance. “The U.S. government, and the [Biden] Administration in particular, has made some important improvements in visa processing; now we need to build on those improvements to ensure greater equity so that the U.S. can benefit from the potential of these students from the Global South, and the African continent in particular. The inability to secure a visa should never stand in the way of qualified students being able to pursue a U.S. educational degree.”

The report also highlights a number of comprehensive policy recommendations to improve visa issuance for students from the Global South and international students from across the globe.

“This report makes it abundantly clear that the high rate of visa denials in Africa and the Global South is contributing to a loss of share of international students to global competitors,” said Shelley Landry, Senior Director of Government Affairs at Shorelight. “As demand for studying abroad grows worldwide, especially in these regions, the US must improve its visa policies to attract talented international students and enrich our classrooms, communities, and the economy.”

The Presidents’ Alliance will also host a webinar on Wednesday, July 26th at 12 PM ET, with Shorelight to examine the findings of the report and discuss policy solutions as well as the human impacts of student visa denials. This webinar will feature Lydiah Kemunto Bosire, Founder and CEO of 8B Education Investments; Munya Chiura, Head of Africa Business Development at MPOWER Financing; Shelley Landry, Senior Director of Government of Affairs at Shorelight; Paul Zeleza, the North Star Distinguished Professor and Associate Provost at Case Western Reserve University; Rajika Bhandari, Senior Advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; and Jill Welch, Senior Policy Advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Register for the webinar here: https://bit.ly/3K0cJQ8

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The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to support undocumented, international and refugee students, and advance forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal level, in our states, and across our college campuses. The Alliance is composed of 550+ college and university presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Founded in 2013, Shorelight works with universities across the U.S. to create innovative programs that deliver comprehensive educational services to international students. Our platform connects international students, universities, and service providers to drive student enrollment and performance at scale. We do this so that a more globally diverse population can lead and prosper for generations to come. Together, we help educate the world.