Visa delays shrink CSUSB’s international pipeline as budget pressures mount

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — When Jiyu Kim finally saw an open appointment slot for her U.S. student visa interview, she refreshed her browser until the confirmation page loaded.

"Even though I had all my documents ready early, it was stressful not knowing when I would secure an appointment," said Kim, a CSUSB international student from South Korea.

At CSUSB, administrators say that kind of uncertainty can disrupt who arrives on campus and when — and it is colliding with broader budget pressure as the university works to stabilize enrollment. CSUSB reported 1,083 students categorized as "Non-Resident" in Fall 2020. By Fall 2024, that figure had dropped to 530, a decline of about 51% in four years, according to the university’s Statistical Factbook.

Tanner Carollo, Associate Vice President of Institutional Research and Analytics and CSUSB’s Chief Data Officer, said in an email that the Factbook’s Non-Resident category typically refers to students in the U.S. on temporary visas who do not have the right to remain indefinitely.

In the undergraduate pipeline, CSUSB’s Common Data Set for 2024-25 reported 695 international applicants for fall 2024 admission, 540 international admits and 24 international enrollees.

National data show similar declines in the next enrollment cycle. The Fall 2025 Snapshot from the Institute of International Education found that new international enrollment at more than 825 U.S. colleges and universities fell 17% from the previous year. Among institutions reporting declines, 96% cited visa application concerns.

John Binkley, Associate Vice Provost and Dean of CSUSB’s College of Extended and Global Education, said the campus saw a steep drop during the pandemic and continues to see visa delays translate into missed arrivals.

"There was a big drop with COVID," Binkley said. "Deferrals, late arrivals, or students giving up on enrolling" remain part of the pattern, he said.

Biwen Churchwell, an International Admissions and Student Recruitment Specialist, said the bottleneck is often consular logistics rather than a single rule change.

"Students are running into visa processing delays, appointment backlogs at U.S. consulates, and extended administrative review," Churchwell said.

A student from China who asked not to be identified because of privacy concerns related to immigration matters said prolonged processing ended her plan to attend CSUSB.

"Every week I checked for updates, but there was no clear answer about how long it would take," she said.

Churchwell said students from India have reported severe scheduling challenges because of high demand and limited appointment availability.

"Around 100 students from India paid the $150 deposit to come here," said Binkley. "Eight arrived in the spring."

Binkley said the gap between deposits and arrivals is a concern, but he described it as a planning challenge rather than an immediate threat to programs.

Additional screening has added uncertainty for some applicants. In June 2025, the State Department said overseas posts would resume scheduling F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applications and instructed applicants to set the privacy settings on their social media profiles to public for vetting.

Binkley said a temporary shutdown and slower restart in consular processing contributed to delays.

"The government shut down these applications to add this screening," he said.

Processing reopened at a much slower pace, which he said limited how many visas were issued.

To reduce missed start dates, CSUSB has expanded pre-arrival support for admitted students, Churchwell said, including interview readiness and documentation guidance.

"We were pretty successful in the spring where we had students from 30 different countries," said Binkley.

Binkley said CSUSB is also tracking federal changes that could affect students after they arrive. The August 2025 proposal to replace duration of status became a final rule in July 2026. It would have limited many F and J admissions to the program length listed on a student's Form I-20 or DS-2019, up to four years, and required an extension for additional time.

The rule was scheduled to take effect Sept. 15, but a federal judge postponed its effective date nationwide on Sept. 14 while a lawsuit proceeds. The existing duration-of-status system remains in place for now.

Another possible change concerns Optional Practical Training, or OPT, which allows eligible F-1 students to work temporarily in jobs related to their field of study.

On Sept. 11, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs completed its review of a Department of Homeland Security proposal titled "Optional Practical Training Fees." The proposal had not been published in the Federal Register as of Sept. 17, and no proposed fee amount or effective date had been released.

OPT remains closely tied to international student recruitment. The Fall 2025 Snapshot reported a 14% increase in the number of students on OPT, and 92% of institutions said international students would likely choose other countries if OPT were unavailable.

International students pay nonresident tuition in addition to base tuition and mandatory campus fees, meaning enrollment swings can affect tuition-and-fee revenue.

CSUSB budget materials show the university has faced multi-year deficits while overall enrollment remains below target. A budget presentation projected a deficit of about $20.4 million for fiscal year 2024-25.

While some students said visa delays and uncertainty can derail enrollment plans, Binkley said the university is not seeing immediate signs that academic programs are at risk.

“Right now, no program’s going to close,” Binkley said.

He added that staffing decisions and course schedules are planned months in advance, though department growth and new faculty lines are still tied to student numbers.

Binkley also said international students contribute to campus life by bringing cultural perspectives that shape the classroom experience. Kim ultimately received her visa and enrolled, but she said the process still felt unpredictable.

"Even when you do everything early, you still don’t know what will happen," she said.