A group of House Republicans has introduced a new bill to ban Chinese citizens from obtaining U.S. student visas, citing national security concerns linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The proposed legislation, dubbed the “Stop Chinese Communist Prying by Vindicating Intellectual Safeguards in Academia Act of 2025” (or “Stop CCP VISAs Act of 2025”), was led by Representative Riley Moore (R-W. Va.), a first-term congressman on the Appropriations Committee.
The bill seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to prohibit the issuance of student visas to Chinese nationals for academic, vocational, or exchange programs. Moore and his cosponsors argue that China has exploited the U.S. student visa system to gain access to American universities and research institutions, potentially using these opportunities for espionage, intellectual property theft, and infiltration of sensitive military and technological information.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Rep. Moore emphasized the risk posed by allowing nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals to enter the U.S. annually on student visas. “We’ve literally invited the CCP to spy on our military, steal our intellectual property, and threaten national security,” Moore said, referencing past incidents where Chinese nationals studying in the U.S. were involved in suspicious activities.
Moore pointed to the federal indictment of five Chinese nationals in October 2024 who were students at the University of Michigan, part of a joint program with China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University. These individuals were charged with misleading authorities about their visit to a remote military site in Michigan and attempting to delete photos from their phones. Moore argued that such incidents demonstrate China’s strategic use of the student visa program to infiltrate the U.S. and access sensitive information.
“Congress needs to end China’s exploitation of our student visa program,” Moore added. “It’s time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals.”
Cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), and Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), who each voiced their concerns about the CCP’s influence in U.S. academic settings. Rep. Gill argued that the Chinese Communist Party’s values are incompatible with American principles, calling the large number of student visas issued to Chinese nationals a “grave mistake.”
Rep. Perry expressed frustration with the current system, telling The Epoch Times, “It makes ZERO sense to allow so many Chinese nationals to come to the United States annually to infiltrate American academic institutions.” McDowell echoed these sentiments, stressing that the bill aims to “put America first” and end the exploitation of the student visa program by foreign actors.
The growing concern over Chinese nationals in U.S. academic institutions stems from numerous reports of espionage and intellectual property theft. The FBI has long warned that China is the world’s principal infringer of intellectual property. U.S. officials have raised alarms that China uses certain students, particularly those involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, to act as “non-traditional collectors of intellectual property.” The annual cost of intellectual property theft to the U.S. economy is estimated to be between $225 billion and $600 billion.
The FBI also cites incidents where Chinese students or researchers have been involved in stealing trade secrets or providing sensitive information to the Chinese government. For example, prosecutors charged Ye Yanqing, a Chinese national and officer in the People’s Liberation Army, for allegedly concealing her military service on her J-1 visa application while she was studying at Boston University. During her time in the U.S., Ye reportedly carried out assignments for the Chinese military, including gathering U.S. military intelligence.
Another troubling element highlighted in the bill is the role of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), which has been accused of acting as an extension of the Chinese government’s influence in U.S. academic institutions. The CSSA, a network of student groups across American campuses, is overseen by the Chinese regime’s United Front Work Department. This department is responsible for influencing foreign entities and carrying out intelligence operations.
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