Limitation of Visas for Graduate Students and Researchers from the People's Republic of China

On Friday May 29, 2020, President Trump issued a proclamation, limiting the entry of non-immigrant graduate students and researchers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) into the U.S. on F or J visas.

This applies to those who have now or in the past “received funding from, been employed by, studied at, or conducted research at or on behalf of an entity in the PRC that implements or supports the PRC’s military-civil fusion strategy.” The proclamation does not list the entities that would fall under this rule.

The proclamation currently only applies to new visas. However, it does direct the Secretary of State to review whether existing F or J visas who otherwise meet the criteria should be revoked.

The U.S Department of State press release dated June 1, 2020 stated that “[o]ur actions last Friday are a direct consequence of PRC government strategies and policies that exploit the access of some of China’s brightest graduate students and researchers, in targeted fields, to divert and steal sensitive technologies and intellectual property from U.S. institutions, taking undue advantage of our open and collaborative academic and research environment. This action will help safeguard U.S. national and economic security interests and the productivity and security of the U.S. research enterprise.”