A year ago, 13-year-old Ashley* wanted to leave Hong Kong to study in the US. The US is home to many great universities and boarding schools. Ashley planned to apply for the 2025-26 academic year.
But sadly, this dream has been broken.
“My plans changed due to growing concerns about US visa and immigration policies under the Trump administration,” Ashley said.
“I saw lots of news about student visas getting revoked. This made me question the long-term stability of staying in the US without citizenship.”
She is just one of the thousands who are deciding whether it is too risky to study in the United States after the election of President Donald Trump.
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Dreams over
The US has long been the most popular destination for international students. Last year, the country had about 1.1 million international students.
But recently, the US has been revoking visas and threatening to force students to leave the country.
At least 1,024 students have had their visas revoked or their legal status ended since late March, according to the Associated Press. Many have said they have not committed any crimes that could lead to the government forcing them to leave the country.
In the 2023-24 academic year, there was a record low number of Hongkongers studying undergraduate degrees in the US. According to a survey, only 2,762 students made the move.
After hearing this news and discussing it with her parents, Ashley will stay in Hong Kong to finish secondary school.
“It was a difficult decision given that this was my dream and goal for three years, but hopefully it was for the best,” she said.
Ashley added that the constant negative news would probably have made her feel “unsafe and anxious” if she went to the US.
Cautious hope
Education consultants have said that the visa policies have had little impact on their clients.
For Hongkonger Max*, he has already achieved his goal of being accepted into a US university.
“I have always dreamed of going to a US university because of its flexible liberal arts system,” he said.
He said he felt comfortable with his decision, even if he and his parents were “a little worried”.
“I believe the policies have only targeted a small proportion of students,” he said.
Fewer Hong Kong Form Six graduates heading overseas for education
Another Hongkonger, David*, said attending a US university was “a dream” inspired by his family.
“My parents put a lot of emphasis on how amazing the environment is [in the US] and how much you can learn from American society,” the 16-year-old said. His school in Hong Kong follows the American system.
David’s sister and parents all went to university in the US. He is already looking to enrol in 2026.
But he admitted that the news about the US made him feel “concerned” and “hesitant”. He worries that all his hard work to get into a good university will go to waste.
“It feels like a lot of that is in jeopardy and at stake, especially as an international student,” he said.
David said he was “still definitely going to apply” to study in the US. However, he would now look at other options too.
“[Recent events] have definitely made me consider the UK a lot more,” he said.
* Name changed at interviewees’ request.
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Why this story matters: Many young Hongkongers dream of attending famous universities in the US. But some of them no longer feel safe to do so. They might decide to attend local institutions or others overseas or in mainland China.
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