> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsletters.qs.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What happens when visa uncertainty becomes an academic risk for international students? - URL: https://newsletters.qs.com/what-happens-when-visa-uncertainty-becomes-an-academic-risk-for-international-students/ - Published: 2026-10-07T13:30:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-07T13:30:56.000Z - Description: QS Midweek Brief - September 23, 2026. The first cohort of AI-natives is knocking on the doors of unis. Are they ready? - Author: Anton John Crace - Tags: QS Mid Week Brief [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/MAR-114977---QSIM-reader-survey-email-header.jpg)](https://qsnetwork.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV%5F6neUruCYFiHjy4e?ref=newsletters.qs.com) Welcome! International higher education is facing a new challenge: attracting global talent is one thing, but making internationalisation work is another. This week, we look at how visa uncertainty can become an academic risk for international students, with policies and processing delays shaping where and how they study. In our second piece, we turn to the UAE, where a successful education-hub model is evolving into a bigger ambition: building research, innovation and talent that can contribute to a knowledge economy. Stay insightful, Anton John Crace Editor in Chief, QS Insights Magazine QS Quacquarelli Symonds [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/Adelaide-Uni.jpg)](https://adelaide.edu.au/?ref=newsletters.qs.com) --- # **When visa uncertainty becomes an academic risk** *By Jamaal Abdul-Alim* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/When-Visa-Uncertainty-Becomes-An-Academic-Risk.jpg) ### **In brief** - New US visa rules end "duration of status", placing international students on a strict, four-year academic timeline. - Government-mandated extensions replace university oversight, creating administrative hurdles and threatening the continuity of complex research projects. - Proactive planning and early-warning systems are vital to ensure immigration deadlines do not derail academic progress or research. When Megha Bobba, a sophomore at Baylor University who hails from Hyderabad, India, wanted to learn more about new visa restrictions set to take effect in the US on 15 September, she did her own research and visited Baylor’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services. The information proved “helpful”, and she came away realising that she now has to be “more careful” about maintaining her visa status. But Bobba was still uneasy about what’s on the horizon for international students. “I understand the general changes, but I still feel there is some uncertainty about how they could affect my individual situation,” Bobba told the Baylor Lariat, the student-run campus newspaper at Baylor, a Baptist institution in Waco, Texas, that serves more than 14,000 undergraduates. Just under 1,000 are international students. “Having timely, clear and easily accessible information from the university, as well as more specific guidance, would help students feel better prepared,” Bobba said. Bobba’s concerns are being echoed by international educators as the Trump administration eliminates “duration of status”, a policy that allowed international students to remain in the US as long as they were studying. On 14 September — one day before the rule was set to take effect — a federal judge blocked the rule from taking effect and prohibited DHS and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from implementing it while the case continues. “As a result, the longstanding Duration of Status framework remains in place nationwide,” NAFSA, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement. “Today’s decision recognizes the serious and irreparable harm this rule would cause to international students and scholars, higher education institutions, and communities across the country, as well as to the U.S. economy, research and innovation,” Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Education, also a plaintiff, said. The administration maintains that “forever students” were exploiting the policy’s “loophole” by simply enrolling in more courses to avoid leaving the country. Under the new rules, non-immigrant students and exchange visitors – F visa holders and J visa holders, respectively – will be admitted for the length of their specific programme, up to a maximum period of four years. For extensions, students must now apply to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, whereas before, extensions were largely handled by universities. “This final rule ensures that foreign students remain focused on their primary purpose: completing their studies and returning home,” Markwayne Mullin, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, said in a statement. For colleges and universities, the consequences could extend beyond the anticipated financial impact of restrictions on international enrolment. International students typically pay higher tuition rates than domestic students, making them an important source of revenue for many institutions. But the uncertainty surrounding the new rules could also affect students’ academic progress — and the universities supporting them. Krishna Bista, a Professor of Higher Education at Morgan State University, says the uncertainty that international students face under the new restrictions could hurt their academic performance if programme leaders aren’t proactive about helping to keep them on track. “I think one of the most important issues surrounding the end of duration of status is not simply immigration compliance, but how universities preserve educational and research continuity while students adjust to a more time-bound immigration system,” Professor Bista, who is also the Founding Editor of the Journal of International Students, told *QS Insights*. “International students are remarkably resilient and accustomed to navigating complex systems, but uncertainty carries a cost,” he added. “A student who is constantly wondering whether a delayed dissertation, a research setback, or an administrative processing delay might affect immigration status cannot devote the same intellectual energy to learning and research.” With those considerations in mind, here are five action steps that Professor Bista recommends: **1\. Shift from advising to planning** Universities will need to shift from immigration advising to proactive academic and immigration planning, Professor Bista said. Under the previous policy, legitimate academic circumstances — dissertation research taking longer than anticipated, experiments being delayed, a change in research design, fieldwork complications or other academic developments — could extend a student’s programme without the same immigration issues. “With fixed periods of admission, timelines become much more consequential,” Professor Bista said. “International offices, academic advisers, graduate schools and dissertation supervisors will need to communicate much earlier rather than treating immigration compliance as something handled only by the international student office.” The change, then, is not simply about giving students better advice. It’s about bringing immigration considerations into academic planning earlier. **2\. Don’t give up on extensions** Students should not interpret the four-year period as a four-year limit on education, Professor Bista said. “It is better understood as a maximum period for a particular admission under the new framework,” he added. “Students who legitimately require additional time may have mechanisms to seek an extension of stay.” The challenge is that an additional administrative process has now been inserted into an academic journey that is not always predictable. Universities therefore need to make sure students understand their options well before they approach the end of their study period. **3\. Build an early-warning system** Universities should begin reviewing students’ immigration and academic timelines at least six months before they become critical, Professor Bista advised. The review could include the student's I-94, I-20 or DS-2019, expected graduation date, research progress, employment or practical-training plans, and whether an extension or other action may be necessary. “Waiting until the final weeks could create unnecessary risk,” he said. **4\. Bring faculty into the process** Faculty members also need to understand that they are part of this process. “A professor may think that giving a doctoral student another semester to finish a dissertation is purely an academic decision,” Professor Bista said. “For an international student, it can now have immigration implications as well.” This makes closer coordination between faculty, graduate programme directors and international student advisers increasingly important. **5\. Develop continuity plans for research** Doctoral research, laboratory experiments, longitudinal studies, clinical research and fieldwork do not always conform neatly to immigration calendars. “Universities should identify students engaged in long-term research early and help them plan for possible delays, extensions, travel, funding and employment authorisation,” he said. “The challenge for universities is to make sure that an immigration deadline does not unexpectedly become an academic deadline,” he added. He also cautioned against creating unnecessary fear. “The appropriate response is preparation: communicate clearly, advise early, document academic progress carefully and develop individualised plans for students whose programs or research may extend beyond their current authorised period,” Professor Bista said. That is ultimately what Bobba is asking for too: not certainty of every possible outcome, but a clear roadmap for navigating what comes next. *Jamaal Abdul-Alim is a veteran education journalist who resides in Washington, D.C. His articles have appeared in Washington Monthly, Education Week and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. An avid chess player, Jamaal was named “Chess Journalist of the Year” in 2013\. Known as “Professor J” among his students at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he teaches journalism, Jamaal is the founding editor of Sneaker Theory, a website that grew out of a project he did to complete a “Sneaker Essentials” course in 2024 at the Fashion Institute of Technology.* [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/2-taif_university.718c215488c9.webp)](https://www.tu.edu.sa/en/?ref=newsletters.qs.com) --- ## **The UAE’s next chapter** *By Gauri Kohli* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/The-UAE---s-next-chapter-COVER.png) **In brief** - The UAE is shifting from an international education hub into a research-driven, innovation-focused knowledge ecosystem. - Reforms push branch campuses beyond teaching toward industry partnerships, national research priorities and local talent development. - Future success depends on converting established scale into measurable research impact, commercialisation and knowledge exports. The UAE’s success in attracting international universities has created a new challenge: what comes next? That strategy has helped build one of the most internationalised higher education markets in the region. Dubai, one of the country’s largest higher education hubs, shows the scale of that transformation: it had 41 private higher education institutions in 2024-25, including 37 international branch campuses, with 42,026 students enrolled, according to Dubai government data. International enrolment grew by 29% during the year. The UAE’s education-hub model was also built around purpose-designed clusters. In Dubai, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park now host more than 38,500 students across over 600 programmes, creating a concentrated base for international education. Other hubs like Sharjah University City and international branch campuses in Abu Dhabi also show that the UAE has used several models to attract international institutions, from free-zone education clusters and knowledge hubs to government-backed university partnerships. That growth matters because it changes the question facing the UAE. In the early years, international universities helped expand capacity, give students access to globally recognised qualifications and connect them to international academic networks without leaving the UAE. Now, with a substantial international higher education presence already established, the question is increasingly what those institutions contribute beyond enrolment. Dr Mohamed Ebrahim Almualla, higher education senior advisor and former Undersecretary for Academic Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR), says, “The UAE’s higher education model is not moving away from internationalisation but rather entering a more mature phase of internationalisation.” The earlier phase, he says, was about expanding capacity, offering more higher education options and positioning the UAE as a regional higher education hub. The next phase is more strategic. “The UAE now expects higher education to contribute directly to national competitiveness, talent development, research depth, innovation capacity and economic diversification,” he tells *QS Insights*. This reflects the UAE’s broader shift towards a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. Universities are increasingly expected to address national priorities, support emerging sectors and strengthen links between education, industry and government. Government initiatives, such as Dubai’s Education 33 (E33) strategy by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), reflect this broader ambition: Dubai aims to raise the share of international students in higher education to 50% by 2033, while also targeting growth in university start-ups and research funding. Professor Ammar Kaka, Pro Vice-Chancellor and President of Curtin University Dubai, has seen that evolution from inside the sector. After leading Heriot-Watt University Dubai from 2008 to 2023, he says international campuses have developed stronger academic and research capabilities as they have matured. “We are now seeing some of these institutions broaden their role beyond their traditional teaching focus, with greater emphasis on research, innovation and community engagement,” he says. International branch campuses are increasingly being drawn into the wider UAE economy. For Dr Hamad Odhabi, Vice Chancellor for AI and Operational Excellence at Abu Dhabi University, this means internationalisation has to strengthen domestic capability. “Internationalisation should enhance local capability rather than become an end in itself,” he says. MoHESR data shows the national system has expanded alongside its international university presence, with 103 higher education institutions and 218,241 students in 2024-25\. The emerging model is no longer simply about foreign institutions filling a domestic capacity gap. Increasingly, international and home-grown institutions are expected to contribute to a broader national knowledge agenda. Dr Odhabi says this shift is also producing more diverse forms of international engagement. “We are also seeing more diverse models, including joint programmes, faculty exchanges, research partnerships, microcredentials and industry-linked education,” he adds. **The changing role of TNE** That evolution is also changing the meaning of TNE. Dubai’s private higher education sector includes institutions from the UK, France, Australia, the US, Italy and Germany. Additions from the Global South, such as IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi and Peking University HSBC Business School, are broadening the UAE’s academic networks, research strengths and models of international engagement. The UAE’s role is also increasingly regional, serving the wider Gulf and MENA region. Academic research on Gulf TNE has described cities such as Dubai as “gateway” locations, connecting international universities with students and academic networks across the region. Professor Kaka sees TNE moving beyond its traditional role of delivering an overseas qualification locally. “The knowledge, research and expertise developed through these partnerships can also benefit the institution’s home country and other locations where it operates,” he says. “Rather than simply importing education, TNE can increasingly become a two-way exchange of knowledge, talent and capability.” But that transition is uneven. Dr Odhabi notes that while some international campuses have developed meaningful research and industry links, others remain primarily teaching operations with limited research capacity or long-term local engagement. There is also a risk of programme duplication, with institutions competing in similar areas rather than addressing emerging national needs. For Dr Almualla, the next phase requires international universities and branch campuses to become more deeply embedded in the local ecosystem. That includes developing research agendas connected to UAE priorities, building partnerships with industry and government, supporting graduate education and applied research, contributing to Emirati and resident talent development, and helping translate knowledge into innovation and enterprise. “Branch campuses that succeed in the next phase will be those that act not only as teaching institutions, but as long-term knowledge partners,” he says. The UAE’s policy framework is increasingly designed to test this distinction. Its Outcome-Based Evaluation Framework places greater emphasis on graduate employability, research, industry collaboration and international engagement. “What is particularly important is that this direction applies not only to home-grown universities, but to the whole higher education sector, including international branch campuses, regardless of where they are based in the UAE,” says Professor Kaka. The shift is also evident in efforts to connect universities more directly with the economy. In 2026, MoHESR launched a pilot focused on industry sabbaticals, work-experience governance and greater participation by industry practitioners in education and research. The initiative includes academic staff spending time in industry, with the aim of strengthening programmes and applied research. **What comes after attracting universities?** The UAE is not starting from scratch. Institutions such as Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi and UAE University have already built research capacity. The challenge now is connecting that capacity more deeply with the expanding international higher education market and wider economy. This is where the education-hub model enters a more difficult phase. Attracting institutions is visible and measurable; building research capacity, commercialising discoveries and creating durable university-industry relationships is harder. Dr Odhabi points to gaps in industry-funded research, commercialisation pathways and the movement of professionals between universities and industry. “Signing an agreement is the easy part,” he says. “The real measure is whether the partnership produces active projects, student opportunities, research outcomes, professional development or solutions that are actually implemented.” Professor Kaka similarly identifies research capacity as one of the areas where the UAE needs to go further. “The UAE has very strong economic and innovation ambitions, and I think the research capability within the higher education sector will need to continue developing to support those ambitions.” In Dubai, that ambition is beginning to translate into research infrastructure. The Dubai Research, Development and Innovation programme funds research aligned with the country’s economic priorities and aims to increase private-sector participation in R&D. Its first grant cycle supported 24 projects involving 13 universities and 43 academic entities. **The real test: what does the UAE produce?** The UAE has shown it can attract universities, students and talent. Its next challenge is turning that concentration of global expertise into knowledge and innovation with value beyond the institutions that generate it. For Dr Almualla, the question is no longer only how many students institutions enrol or degrees they offer, but: “What capabilities are they building in the country?” For Dr Odhabi, the metrics therefore need to change. Enrolment and institution numbers show attractiveness and scale, but not whether the UAE is becoming a knowledge economy. He points instead to talent retention, research impact, innovation and commercialisation, sustained university–industry–government partnerships and, ultimately, knowledge exports. “The UAE will be moving from a destination for international education to a producer and exporter of knowledge when its institutions lead multinational research programmes, influence policy and professional practice, produce commercially and socially valuable innovations, attract international doctoral students and export educational programmes, technologies and expertise,” he says. Professor Kaka reaches a similar conclusion from the international university perspective. “It is not really about institution numbers,” he says. “I think the UAE has already moved beyond that stage.” The measure, he argues, should be the impact: whether universities contribute to innovation, research, business growth and new industries, producing “not only job seekers, but also job creators, entrepreneurs and innovators”. That is a more demanding definition of success than becoming a global education destination. The UAE’s education hubs have already created scale, international connectivity and access to global academic networks. The next phase is about converting those assets into something harder to build: research capability, talent retention, industry collaboration, innovation and knowledge that can travel in both directions. The question is no longer simply how many international universities the UAE can attract. It is what those universities, alongside the country’s own institutions, can help the UAE create. *Gauri Kohli specialises in writing and reporting on higher education news, including analysis on higher education trends, policies and the edtech sector. Her writing focuses on international education, study abroad, student recruitment trends and policies, with focus on India as a market. She has also covered workplace and hiring trends, corporate practices, work-life features, startup trends and developments, real estate for leading publications and media houses in India and abroad for the last 18 years, including Hindustan Times, a leading national daily newspaper in India.* [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f1/d4/f1d411df-6f49-4c75-a302-f8c9e9f59495/content/images/2026/10/3.-Ajman-University.jpg)](https://impact.ajman.ac.ae/?ref=newsletters.qs.com#/) [Read the latest edition of QS Insights Magazine](https://magazine.qs.com/qs-insights-magazine-45/?utm%5Fcampaign=297995501-QS%20Insights%20Magazine%202026&utm%5Fsource=email&utm%5Fmedium=CTA&utm%5Fterm=QSIM%20%2345%20Homepage%20Ghost&utm%5Fcontent=IP%20%7C%20Insights%20Activation%20%7C%20Promo%20registrations%20-%20QSIM%20%7C%20Midweek%20Brief%20%23139%20Ghost%20Newsletter)