US visa delay puts 2,000 foreign students at New England College at risk
Synopsis
A single stalled approval at DHS could cost New England College up to 2,000 international graduate students by July 1 — a stark signal of how visa bottlenecks under the Trump administration are now reshaping US higher education, with India's surging applicant base squarely in the crosshairs.
Key Takeaways
New England College in New Hampshire could lose up to 2,000 international graduate students without DHS approval by 1 July .
The pending application is tied to a new Doctorate in Business Administration programme for F-1 visa holders.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen raised the issue at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the DHS FY2027 budget.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the case has been routed to USCIS and promised a follow-up.
India remains one of the largest sources of F-1 students in the US, with strong demand in tech, business and AI programmes.
A New Hampshire university could lose as many as 2,000 international graduate students unless the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clears a pending application tied to a new doctoral programme by 1 July, with Senator Jeanne Shaheen pressing the Trump administration for urgent action. The matter surfaced at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the DHS fiscal year 2027 budget request.
What is at stake at New England College
New England College is awaiting approval to enrol F-1 international students in a new Doctorate in Business Administration programme. Without the green light by 1 July, the institution risks losing up to 2,000 incoming graduate students, Shaheen warned during the hearing.
“As I explained on the phone, there is real urgency about this because, without approval by July 1st, they're going to potentially lose 2,000 students, graduate students,” Shaheen told Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, according to the hearing record.
Why the programme matters
Shaheen said the college trains students for careers in artificial intelligence, national security, healthcare management and other high-skill sectors, and contributes to both the local community and the wider state economy.
“This is a university that prepares students for jobs in artificial intelligence, national security, health care management, a lot of other high-demand, high-skill professions,” she said.
What DHS has said so far
Mullin acknowledged the urgency and indicated the department had begun reviewing the case, adding that the point of contact for the college had been shared with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
“We've got the point of contact. We'd asked for the point of contact for the college; I believe we did receive that, and we give it to USCIS,” Mullin said. He noted the issue had been discussed only days earlier and pledged a quick follow-up: “If they haven't heard back from them I will -- they will hear back from them today -- not -- well, tomorrow.”
The bigger picture for Indian students
The exchange underscores the rising stakes for American universities that depend on overseas enrolment, particularly in graduate STEM, business and healthcare programmes. The F-1 visa remains the primary route for international study in the United States.
India has emerged as one of the largest sources of foreign students in the US, with enrolment climbing sharply in recent years, especially in technology, engineering, business and AI-focused graduate courses. Any tightening of approval timelines at the institutional level could ripple through Indian applicant pipelines for the upcoming academic year.
What happens next
The college and lawmakers are now waiting on USCIS to update the status of the application. With the 1 July deadline closing in, the case is shaping up as an early test of how the Trump administration balances immigration scrutiny with the economic case for international higher education.
Point of View
000 enrolments at one institution, the bottleneck is no longer administrative — it is structural. For Indian students, who now anchor much of US graduate enrolment in STEM and business, the message is sobering: under the Trump administration's tighter immigration posture, even procedural approvals are becoming political flashpoints. Universities will need to start hedging timelines, and applicants should plan for longer, less predictable wait cycles.
NationPress
19 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why could New England College lose 2,000 international students?
The college is awaiting DHS approval to enrol F-1 international students in a new Doctorate in Business Administration programme. Without clearance by 1 July, up to 2,000 incoming graduate students could be unable to join, according to Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
What is the F-1 visa and why does it matter here?
The F-1 visa is the primary US visa category for international students pursuing academic study. New England College needs DHS certification for its new doctoral programme before it can sponsor F-1 students for that course.
How does this affect Indian students?
India is one of the largest sources of foreign students in the US, particularly in graduate technology, engineering, business and AI programmes. Delays in institutional F-1 approvals can directly hit Indian applicants planning to enrol in affected programmes.
What has the Trump administration said about the delay?
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin acknowledged the urgency at the Senate hearing and said the case had been shared with USCIS. He pledged that the college would hear back from the department within a day.
What is the deadline for DHS approval?
The college faces a 1 July deadline. If approval does not come through by then, the institution risks losing the incoming cohort of up to 2,000 international graduate students for the new programme.
