A flurry of US visa restrictions, along with ongoing anti-immigrant sentiment in the nation, has affected a countless number of early-career international researchers.
In early July 2020, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced a controversial, widely criticized policy to revoke visas of international students attending universities at which coursework was entirely online.
The policy was rescinded eight days later — but not before causing widespread distress and confusion among international students, their colleagues and their institutions.
A month earlier, the administration had suspended the issuance of H-1B visas — which allow for temporary employment of specialized, skilled workers in industry or academia — until the end of 2020.
In January, the administration added Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania and Kyrgyzstan to the list of countries, currently totalling 13, that face the most-stringent travel restrictions.