Trump era cools Bangladesh's US study boom

The United States has always been one of the top choices for Bangladeshi students to pursue higher studies. According to the 2024 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published in November 2024, the number of Bangladeshi students in the United States represented a 26 per cent increase from the previous academic year (2022-2023), with an all-time high record of over 17,000 Bangladeshis enroled in US institutions.
However, the scenario has been changing since the new administration took office this January. The new administration now reviews social media profiles for visa approval. A Financial Express writer has talked with potential applicants and those who are already studying in the USA. The responses illustrate a mixed view of the USA as a viable option for higher studies and work opportunities, rather than the overwhelmingly positive view we have been familiarising ourselves with in the last couple of years.

In a private study abroad group poll asking whether people are still considering the US for higher studies or not, 22 per cent of respondents voted that they would still apply to the US; 34 per cent voted that they are confused whether to really consider the US or not; and the remaining 44 per cent voted that they would apply to European universities instead.
An NSU (North South University) student, who will be applying to universities abroad in the coming autumn, said, "I feel like most international students like me tend to have a bit of mixed perspectives these days. Whilst the US is a country full of opportunities, like better education and career growth, the visa process, like H-1B and F-1, feels very complicated and stressful. So I feel the whole visa journey makes us feel anxious and stressed."
Kazi Srabon, a first-year student at East West University, is planning to apply to universities abroad for undergraduate study. He said, "Well, I personally feel less confident about pursuing a degree in the US due to recent changes in law and being insecure about job placement after my graduation. Therefore, I think Europe or other countries might be a better option as an international student."
Whilst they illustrated the uncertainty of US education and confusion in choosing countries, some are deciding to avoid the US due to recent issues. Two students from Department of Psychology at Dhaka University have expressed this perspective. "I'm not currently considering the US as an option for higher studies because of the current anti-immigration sentiment under the Trump administration, and also because of the high cost of living there," said Sunehera Subaha, a second-year student.
A third-year DU student, Chowdhury Zaarif Sabab, said, "I'm not considering the US for higher education mainly because of how 'anti-immigrant' the people have become. I believe I'll be racially profiled and discriminated against there. I don't want to live somewhere where I don't feel welcome."
Amongst the students who are already studying in the US, some of them feel that achieving the F-1 visa under the new policies is the main barrier right now. Mustahid Hasan, a first-year PhD student at the College of William & Mary said, "We have some concerns about the future smoothness of accepting international students on F-1 visas due to recent developments. Many students believe that the changes affecting H-1B sponsorships will not impact them since they arrived in the US on student visas. However, these ongoing changes may influence recruiters, leading them to be more hesitant to hire international students because of the complexities in the visa process."
Zubair, who is currently studying in the US at a liberal arts college, strikes a different point, saying, "I think with the current administration, things are up in the air. But when has it not been, honestly?" He tries to explain that all the overseas study options have always been uncertain, and this situation is not entirely new.
However, after President Donald Trump said that he now wants to "permanently pause migration" from third-world countries on Friday (28 November), Zubair said that now it might become worse for international students who want to pursue an H-1B visa later on. In addition, Donald Trump's administration proposed a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions as part of a plan to reform the programme and protect American workers.
Another student, who is studying at the University of Southern Mississippi after taking some loans from Bangladesh, is currently frustrated over the entire situation. He wanted to remain anonymous and said, "Lately, I'm feeling so overwhelmed thinking about the H-1B circumstances. All of it seems so stressful; at some point, I feel like not giving it a try at all. It wasn't like this back when I came to the US in autumn 2024. We came looking for opportunities, but uncertainty makes it way harder. It's like you're working hard without having any safety net, and with the fear that your hard work might not pay off."
With the ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detaining pro-Palestinian students and everything besides it, a UTA (University of Texas, Arlington) student said that he didn't see the same US after going there that he had dreamt of when he was in Bangladesh. "When I came to the US in the autumn of 2024, I thought I would have the freedom of speech that I didn't have back in Bangladesh during Sheikh Hasina's rule. However, after coming here, I realised that talking about Palestine's rights wasn't an option," he said.
He added, "After President Donald Trump took office, we lived in anxiety for the first six months because of the ICE activities. This also pushed racism in the US, at least in Texas. People would say 'you should go back to your country' over the slightest inconvenient scenarios. So, all in all, these affect us mentally. Even though currently the ICE activities are slower than they were, we don't know what will happen tomorrow or in the future."
With the growing uncertainty in US F-1 visa rules and disruption in H-1B visas, the US higher study groups are overall less enthusiastic in this cycle of applications than they were in past years. The American Dream has been slightly fading away amongst Bangladeshi students with all this. However, it's up in the air as to how the 'pausing migration from third-world countries' will affect applicants if Donald Trump's plan comes to fruition.
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