House GOP Proposal Seeks to Ban Chinese Nationals From Obtaining U.S. Student Visas

House Republicans have proposed legislation that would prohibit Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas to the U.S.

Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) has raised the alarm over the past few weeks about what he believes is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) abuse of the American Visa Program, which is meant to allow students to study in the U.S.

On Friday, he is expected to present the Stop CCP VISAs Act or Stop Chinese Communist Spying by Vindicating the Intellectual Safety in Academia Act.

The bill was still in circulation for sponsors. However, it is expected to be supported by Reps. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn. ), Scott Perry (R-Pa. ), and Brandon Gill (R-Texas).

We allow about 300,000 Chinese students to enter the U.S. each year on visas. Moore stated that “we’ve invited the CCP literally to spy on us, steal intellectual property, and pose a threat to national security.”

The FBI has charged 5 Chinese students who were here last year on student visas for photographing US-Taiwan joint live-fire military drills. “This cannot go on.”

He called for Congress to take action on China’s “exploitation” of our Student Visa Program.

He said, “It is time to stop the flow of student visas for Chinese citizens.”

Moore referred to an incident in which five University of Michigan graduates who were part of a program in China with Shanghai Jiao Tong University were accused of spying for the U.S. Military.

The accused are being charged with covering up the surveillance of a National Guard facility in Michigan during an operation to train with Taiwanese forces.

According to an October 1 criminal complaint, the former students were all Chinese nationals and confronted in August 2023 by a sergeant-major of the Utah National Guard.

As with previous attempts, Asian American groups and progressives are likely to challenge Moore’s bill.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice criticized Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for his call for a study ban for Chinese students in the U.S.

It is indefensible to limit the study fields or eliminate visa options for students from China. The group stated that this rhetoric is a continuation of the racist and racial statements by officials like FBI Director Wray and President Trump.