Chinese Nationals May Be Barred From Student Visas Under New Proposal

A House Republican is set to introduce a bill that would bar Chinese nationals from obtaining visas to study in the United States.

First-term Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia will introduce the bill, known as the Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act, or the Stop CCP VISAs Act, later this week, a spokesperson for Moore told Newsweek.

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Amid increased U.S.-China tensions, some Republicans have accused the Chinese Communist Party of exploiting the student visa program and using universities and academic institutions to engage in espionage, and several universities have ended partnerships with Chinese universities over national security concerns.

However, proposals to bar all Chinese nationals from studying in the U.S. face opposition from advocacy groups that say such policies are rooted in racism and xenophobia. A ban would also mean fewer international students contributing to the U.S. economy and would affect universities that depend on tuition fees paid by Chinese students.

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The text of the bill, first reported by Fox News, says it would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to “prohibit the admission of Chinese nationals as nonimmigrant students, and for other purposes.”

It adds that an “alien who is a national of the People’s Republic of China may not be issued a visa or otherwise provided status as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(F), (J), or (M), for the purpose of conducting research or pursuing a course of study.”

Representative Brandon Gill of Texas, another first-term Republican, has said he will co-sponsor the bill. Others expected to co-sponsor the bill include Republican Representatives Andy Ogles of Tennessee and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania {snip}

Moore has cited an incident in which five Chinese nationals were charged with covering up a visit to a remote military site in Michigan while drills were taking place. The five individuals were students at the University of Michigan at the time and enrolled in a joint program between the university and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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Representative Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, said in a statement to Newsweek: “Every year, we allow nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. on student visas. We’ve literally invited the CCP to spy on our military, steal our intellectual property, and threaten national security.”

He added: “Congress needs to end China’s exploitation of our student visa program. It’s time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals.”

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