U.S. student visa issuance fell sharply last summer—new student visas were down 35.6%—as federal policy shifts and heightened scrutiny reduced international enrollments ahead of fall 2025. The decline underscores continued pressure on campus budgets that rely on international tuition and on programs that serve global cohorts. Separately, the U.K. suspended study visas for applicants from Sudan, leaving more than 200 postgraduates and undergraduates fearing they will lose places at 46 universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College. Sudanese scientists and students reported shock and sadness; many had already secured research posts or offers for study and now face lost opportunities and disrupted career trajectories. Universities in both countries are scrambling to advise affected students, consider deferrals and press governments for clarifications. The twin developments highlight the vulnerability of international recruitment to abrupt policy decisions and geopolitical shocks, and they will likely accelerate institutions’ contingency planning for yield and enrollment diversification.