Dutch students tiring of fickle U.S. entry policies, says NL education agency

If students are unable to get a visa to study in the United States of America then the number of Dutch students going to the country will drop. “Then the door is closed, as simple as that. If you do not get a visa, then you can’t go. Maybe the policies will change, as they did with the import tariffs, but students are not waiting for such fickleness," said Nuffic, an organization that is committed to internationalization in higher education.

According to Nuffic’s figures, several thousand Dutch students go to the U.S. every year. The country is the fourth most popular destination for students after Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Since he took office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken several measures against universities. It has recently been reported that his administration wants to check all posts from foreign students on social media before giving them permission to come to the U.S. to study. Students currently cannot make an appointment for an interview with an embassy or the consulate while waiting for this screening.

Nuffic refused to comment on these types of decisions. “We are a knowledge institute. We do not get involved in political decision-making.”

The organization did say that, thus far, Trump’s policies have not affected the number of students moving to the U.S. But many of them do have questions. “Students have concerns about whether they will be granted a student visa and whether this will remain valid when they get there. They ask if they need to delete their social media accounts. These are all things that were not issues in the past.”

The organization said that these things cause uncertainties that do not go down well with students. “We do not have a crystal ball, but we are expecting a drop next year if it continues in this way.”

Students usually start planning their stays abroad a year in advance, according to Nuffic. "They don't make this decision in a hurry. Students sometimes also want to go to the U.S. for a certain university, for example. That is not something you can simply exchange for another country, there is no easy equivalent for that."