The State Department announced a pause on immigrant-visa processing for applicants from 75 countries—many of them significant sources of international students—creating fresh uncertainty for campus international-recruitment offices. The administration framed the pause as part of efforts to curb misuse of benefit programs, but it applies to immigrant visas rather than nonimmigrant student visas; institutions report confusion about effects on enrollment and recruitment pipelines. Separately, China unveiled a compulsory admissions test for undergraduate international applicants as it shifts its internationalization strategy toward what officials describe as “quality” over scale. The Chinese policy aims to reshape which foreign students it attracts and how their credentials are evaluated. Together, the U.S. visa pause and China’s admissions exam reflect a shifting global market for talent. University international-enrollment teams, admissions directors and financial-aid offices will need to reassess recruitment targets, compliance planning and contingency supports for affected applicants and current international students.