Islamabad, June 25, 2025: Spain on Tuesday announced it had granted fast-tracked visa entry to its universities for international students denied access to the United States for studies due to measures taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Students unable to finish their education in the U.S. because of visa restrictions will now have the option to transfer to Spain, according to a statement from the Migration Ministry. The permits will also let students take up part-time jobs, the ministry added.
Trump has clashed with several top-level US universities, accusing them of becoming bastions of antisemitism after large-scale student protests advocating for Palestinian rights amid the Gaza war. In his clash with Harvard, he has frozen funding for investigations and threatened to remove its tax-exempt status, prompting several European nations, including Spain, to increase research grants to attract talent.
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While Trump has continued to limit immigration into the US, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is actively encouraging it, because of its economic benefits.
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Spain ranks third among the top choices for students in the US seeking to study abroad, behind the United Kingdom and Italy, according to the Open Doors website, and at least 20,000 apply for visas each year to pursue part of their academic studies in Spain.
