Number of Britons studying in US falls to seven-year low

THE number of Britons granted visas to study in the United States has fallen to a seven-year low under Donald Trump, analysis by The Daily Telegraph has found.

Fewer than 4,500 UK students were given the right to attend a US school or university in 2017, according to official figures. Last year’s number was lower than at any point since 2010, amounting to a six per cent drop during Mr Trump’s first year in office. Experts suggested the fall was partly explained by Britons being put off from studying in the US due to the current “unwelcoming” climate. It is not just Britain that is affected, far fewer students from across the EU as well as from China and India were receiving US visas.

Mr Trump won the White House with an election campaign built on border security and protecting the country from illegal immigration.

State Department figures show 4,470 Britons were granted an F-1 visa, which allows for study in the US, in the 2017 financial year, compared with 4,753 in 2016.

The number of British students rose for most of Barack Obama’s presidency, but fell in his final year. That fall escalated on Mr Trump’s watch. Around 400,000 US student visas were issued in 2017, down 16 per cent on 2016.

The reason for the fall is unclear, but some experts claim that the heated US political debate around immigration could be putting off British students. Lynden Melmed, a partner at Berry Appleman & Leiden, one of the US’S leading immigration law firms, said the perception of tighter immigration rules could be a factor. “Even if someone has been admitted to an American college, there’s no guarantee they will be issued a visa by the US government,” he said.

A State Department spokesman said: “We want students to know that they should continue to apply to study in the United States.”