As the US enters peak student visa processing season, policy experts have likened the administration’s prioritisation of FIFA World Cup visas to last year’s visa interview freeze – with fears growing about further enrolment declines next academic year.
“In the past, the Department of State’s practice was to prioritise international student visa processing … Now, they are pulling away from that and prioritising other visas, specifically for upcoming sporting events,” said Zuzana Cepla Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents’ Alliance.
Earlier this year, the US government announced the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS), granting priority visa interviews to World Cup visitors, while F-1 and J-1 visa applicants have been pushed to the bottom of the list, experts said.
Speaking with The PIE News at the NAFSA 2026 conference, Cepla Wootson said the practice was “very concerning” for the sector, predicting international enrolment drops in future years bringing sector-wide repercussions.
She drew parallels with last year’s visa interview pause, which was announced during the conference and lasted nearly four weeks, causing knock-on delays in key markets enduring throughout the summer.
Subsequent visa data laid bare the impact of the pause, revealing a 36% year-on-year drop in student visa issuance from June to August 2025 – considered one of the primary drivers of last year’s 17% international enrolment decline.
“We must understand that there is still a travel ban in place that plays a role in international students’ ability to come, so it is really about the cumulative effect of all these policies together, said Cepla Wootson.
She highlighted that as the US puts up barriers, an increasing array of countries are stepping up their international education offerings – with the rise of the ‘Big Fourteen’ one of the dominant themes of this year’s NAFSA conference in Orlando.
“I’m not only talking about the usual suspects … but I’m talking about countries like Germany and even China. [China] used to be primarily a sending country and now it’s starting to understand that there’s a tremendous benefit in welcoming international students,” said Cepla Wootson.
Elsewhere in the conference, panellists highlighted the impact of World Cup visa prioritisation beyond degree seeking students, as the practice threatens barring exchange visitors from summer work and travel programs such as BridgeUSA.
It is really about the cumulative effect of all these policies together
Zuzana Cepla Wootson, The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
Mark Overmann, president of the Alliance for International Exchange, said it was an “uphill battle” for J-1 applicants just to get visa appointments.
“Our data has shown that as much as 19% of potential summer work and travel participants and close to 6% of camp counsellor participants are at risk of not getting an interview. So not even a denial, but just not getting in the door for an interview.”
In efforts to mitigate the looming declines, a coalition of 32 organisations led by the American Council on Education (ACE) is urging the state department to “move quickly and efficiently during peak visa season”, warning of shrinking US talent pipelines.
It highlighted delays at global consulates caused by enhanced vetting processes brought in last spring, calling for greater transparency on how the policies are being implemented and what institutions can expect going into the fall.
And beyond the impact on international students themselves, Cepla Wootson noted the damaging repercussions of falling international enrolments for domestic students and the US economy, citing evidence of every three international students in the US creating and sustaining one domestic job.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Orlando, discussions also highlighted the real-time impact that the current administration’s policies are having on sector finances, with this year’s 6,600 delegates notably lower than previous years.
