How visa complications are affecting Bangladeshi students

Rafia Tabassum (pseudonym), a Bangladeshi student who completed her Honours last year, got an offer letter from a US university in the first phase of this year. When she was trying to get a visa (interview) appointment with the US embassy in Dhaka, there was no slot (schedule) available.

A few days later, when she tried again in May, she got a visa interview appointment in December—almost seven months later, which is longer than usual. Owing to such an unexpected delay, Rafia had to defer her enrollment and reschedule it to the next semester. 

Rafia's case is not a lone example; rather, a lot of Bangladeshi students are facing this kind of untoward situation when it comes to getting a visa appointment. 

The suffering does not end here. Bangladeshi students aspiring for higher education are also facing other hurdles related to visa—both at home and abroad. The afflictions range from delay in visa appointment to even visa revocation in a faraway land. 

Arafat Hossain (pseudonym) was a Bangladeshi international student in the US. He had been living there for one and a half years and was close to completing his master's degree, with only the final exams remaining.  

One morning, he woke up receiving an email where he was asked to leave the US as soon as possible because the federal government had revoked his student visa. He found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, and all his dreams were shattered. 

This might be difficult to imagine or relate to, but that is exactly what has been happening, silently.

"The worst part? They do not even disclose the actual reason clearly," Arafat said. He mentioned that this happened to him because he took part in protests against the Israeli occupation and the genocide in Gaza.

Arafat is currently in Bangladesh and looking for PhD opportunities, but it has become much more difficult due to his record of visa revocation.

However, Arafat is not alone. The US State Department has recently said that they have revoked over 6,000 student visas since January as the Trump Administration cracks down on international students and other immigrants to the US, Fox News reported. It includes many Bangladeshis like Arafat as well.

According to the official, around 4,000 of the 6,000 visas were revoked because the holders had "broken the law". A vast majority involve cases of assault, driving under the influence, burglary, or "support for terrorism".

This phenomenon in the US has sparked fear and uncertainty among prospective students in Bangladesh who aspire to go abroad for higher studies.

Nusrat Najnen Eva, a fresh graduate in Chemical Engineering from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, aspires to pursue higher education abroad. She is preparing for Fall 2026, but the fear of visa rejection weighs heavily on her. 

"Everywhere I look, there is news about countries tightening student visa rules, especially in the US. It makes me feel anxious. I don't know how my dream of studying abroad will come true. I can only hope for the best," she said. 

Despite the uncertainty, students like Nusrat seem more eager than ever to leave the country in search of better opportunities. 

According to UNESCO data, over 52,799 Bangladeshi students went abroad to study in 2023. This number shows a significant upward trend, more than tripling from the approximately 16,000 students in 2008 and reaching an all-time high in 2023.

"Everywhere I look, there is news about countries tightening student visa rules, especially in the US. It makes me feel anxious. I don't know how my dream of studying abroad will come true. I can only hope for the best."

Nusrat Najnen Eva, A Fresh Graduate From SUST

A definitive total for 2024 is not yet available. But over 17,000 Bangladeshi students studied in the US alone last year, an all-time high and a 26% increase from the previous year, according to the US Embassy in Bangladesh.

The unstable political situation in Bangladesh is a major reason behind the students' desperation to leave the country. 

"There is already a lack of education and employment opportunities in the country. It is the core reason why we want to go abroad. However, the current political situation is also at play in our decision-making. There is too much political chaos here—every day there is some kind of trouble, protest, or violence. Mentally, it is very exhausting. It feels like there is no reason to stay here. I just want to leave the country," Nusrat further said.        

However, the uncertainty faced by students is not solely due to student visa denials. The tightening of labour visas, tourist visas, and others is also having a domino effect, influencing students as well.

Bangladeshis are facing unprecedented visa denials across key regions, including the Gulf, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, TBS reported earlier. Countries like Vietnam, Laos, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have halted visa issuance, while others, such as India and Thailand, have significantly tightened their criteria. 

The most concerning developments are in the Gulf nations and Malaysia, where visa issuance for low-skilled Bangladeshi workers has ceased due to concerns over recruitment scams, forged documents, and labour unrest.

However, it is also true that there is another side of this story. Recently, a large number of Bangladeshi students are seen going abroad to study. So, where is the catch? 

Ahnaf Chowdhury Niloy recently moved to the US to join Georgia State University as a Doctoral Fellow. His journey apparently seems like an exception, considering the current situation.

"Luck favoured me. Just 7 days after receiving my US Visa, the visa processing was stopped for a brief period and many faced problems getting appointments. Thankfully, my process went smoothly, and I did not face any challenges throughout my journey from Bangladesh to the US," he said.

"Over the past five years, despite the number of global scholarships having shrunk, the number of applicants have increased rapidly. It shows a negative correlation. Yet, Bangladeshi students are taking the risk and investing time and effort to go abroad and pursue higher studies," he noted.

Ahnaf believes that people in Bangladesh spread more misinformation and share more unnecessary knowledge that does not help much. It just spreads panic. He mentioned that in terms of funding, the situation is less promising than earlier times. But it is not as harsh as people say.

"For example, many told me that building a rapport with a US professor could take nearly a year. Believing this, I set a target of starting my PhD in late 2027. However, my attempt to build rapport with a professor began with just a single email."

"I received a funding offer even before receiving an admission offer letter. With very little time on hand, I had to prepare my paperwork and apply for a visa. Without any hassle, I was able to secure a visa appointment, and with the right guidance from some peers and seniors, I managed to expedite it by applying for an emergency appointment," he said.

Tahia Talbia Mim, Founder and CEO of Skylark International, has been in the education consultancy industry for six years. 

"The overall visa approval ratio has decreased, but the number of applications has increased significantly. It happened due to a shift in people's mindset. Considering the overall situation in the country, more people than before are looking to leave," she said. 

"Many countries themselves have filtered the process. The bar has been set high. They are also doing a lot of marketing about their programmes and scholarships. As a result, high-profile students are applying in greater numbers whose chances of visa rejection are naturally low," she added.