A rise in blocked student visas is hampering the US sector’s growth compared to other popular ELT destinations, a report by EnglishUSA and BONARD Education revealed.
Its second annual report on English language programs in the United States, published last week, revealed that students from India, Brazil, Türkiye, Colombia and China had the highest number of visa refusals in 2023.
India had the highest number of visa refusals, at 1,181. This was followed by 994 rejections for students from Brazil, 862 from Türkiye and 411 from Colombia. Meanwhile, 253 Chinese ELT students had their US visa applications reflected, according to the report.
According to the ELPs surveyed, there was a 24% average visa refusal rate in 2023. Community college-governed providers were the most affected, with a 27% refusal rate, followed by university providers, with a 26% visa refusal rate.
And according to almost two-thirds (64%) of the 366 English language programs that were surveyed this year between February and April, visa denials were
their “most pressing challenge in 2023”.
“Student visa denials are likely to have played a part in slowing down post-pandemic growth in the sector,” Dr Ivana Bartosik, BONARD’s international education director, said.
“Several key source markets, such as Brazil, Türkiye and Colombia, did not reach their growth potential because of visa denials.”
The respondents – made up of private language schools, universities, colleges, and community colleges – taught a total of 97,813 English language students in 2023, racking up 1,042,485 student weeks during that time.
Despite slow growth due to via refusals, the report noted an increased interest in language learning as the world recovers from the impact of the Covid pandemic.
Student numbers for English language programs rose by 4% between 2022 and 2023, while students weeks rose by 2% in that time, the report showed.
Understanding the specific reasons why visas are rejected can help programs provide better support for students and address shortcomings in future applications
Daryl Bish, EnglishUSA
Over half (54%) of students studied on F-1 visas, the report said. Some 19% had ESTAs, which meant they did not need a visa to study in the US, while 8% were US citizens and a further 8% have B-1 or B-2 visitor visas.
EnglishUSA called for more openness around the reasons for visa denials.
“Survey participants called for better communication and increased transparency around visa denials. Understanding the specific reasons why visas are rejected can help programs provide better support for students and address shortcomings in future applications,” said EnglishUSA president Daryl Bish.
