9/11 and International Student Visa Issuance

International student migration to the United States markedly dropped after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Considering the interaction of immigration policy and student agency, this study examines how student visa issuances changed after 9/11 to determine whether there were significant changes to international student flows to the United States. Nonimmigrant visa data from the U.S. Department of State annual Report of the Visa Office from 1997 to 2006 were analyzed. Results show that while there was no initial significant difference between the pre- and post-9/11 periods, when broken down by visa classification and by region, there were pronounced decreases in visa issuance. Findings suggest that negative effects by student visa type in all regions may have shifted worldwide student mobility trends in the post-9/11 era.