Officially titled the Stop CCP VISAs Act, the legislation was presented on March 16 and co-sponsored by five other Republican lawmakers: Brandon Gill, Scott Perry, Troy Nehls, Andy Ogles and Addison McDowell.

“Every year, we allow nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals to come to the U.S. on student visas,” Moore stated, calling for an immediate halt. “It’s time we turn off the spigot.”

The bill must clear both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can become law, but it has already sparked significant controversy.

Critics argue that the move risks damaging U.S.-China relations and discourages valuable educational exchanges.

Eddie West, Assistant Vice-President of International Affairs at California State University, Fresno, emphasized that collaboration rather than exclusion offers greater benefits, PIE News reported.

“We have far more to gain by partnership than by exclusion,” West said, suggesting Chinese students might redirect their attention to universities in the U.K. or Europe if the U.S. becomes unwelcoming.

Asian-American advocacy groups have criticized the bill as discriminatory. “While national security is of utmost importance, resorting to racism and xenophobia is never the answer,” Asian Americans Advancing Justice said in a statement.

In contrast to the proposed restrictions, China’s ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, in 2024 announced plans to encourage greater educational exchanges, aiming to attract 50,000 American students to China over five years.