Think Out Loud

Visa struggles plague international students at Oregon universities

By Rolando Hernandez (OPB)
Sept. 10, 2026 4:11 p.m.

Broadcast: Thursday, Sept. 10

As the school year begins at Oregon universities, some international students may not be able to start classes with their peers.

As first reported in the Oregon Capital Chronicle, travel bans, changes to the length of stay for student visas and increased immigration enforcement have led to a 20% decline in international students choosing to study in the U.S. Students from foreign countries who do choose to attend university in the States are seeing delays in the student visa process that could mean they will not be able to start classes in the fall.

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Eowyn Brown is the associate vice provost for global engagement at Portland State University. Dennis Galvan is the dean and vice provost for global engagement at the University of Oregon. They both join us to share what they are hearing from students about the visa application process and what the overall decline in international students means for Oregon schools.

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