E-Paper
Arrivals of Indian students in US on visa plunge by 39% amid immigration crackdown
Visa delays, stricter screening and uncertainty over post-study work are among the factors consultants say are discouraging students.
Prefer HTon Google
Arrivals from India on US student visas fell 39% in August from a year earlier, the third straight annual decline in the month that usually sees the biggest influx of foreign students ahead of the fall semester.
The US Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) recorded 25,321 such arrivals on F and M category visas in August, down from 41,540 a year earlier. That was the lowest August figure since 2020, when pandemic travel restrictions held arrivals to 2,908, and 73% below the August 2023 peak of 93,833.
The slide began under Joe Biden, with a 20.3% fall to 74,825 in August 2024, but has accelerated since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. August arrivals fell 44.5% in 2025 and another 39% this year, leaving them 66.2% below the 2024 level. In that time, his administration has expanded social media screening of student visa applicants, finalised a rule, since blocked by a court, ending open-ended admission for foreign students, and proposed steep fees on their post-study work. Study-abroad consultants cite visa appointment and processing delays, stricter screening and uncertainty over post-study work among the reasons for the fall.
Also Read | Trump administration revokes over 300,000 visas as immigration checks tighten
Visa Processing, Screening and Data
F-1 visa processing was hit by significant delays in 2025. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a Rajya Sabha reply on April 2 that 12,776 F-1 visas were issued to Indian nationals in June and July 2025, down 69.1% from 41,336 a year earlier, and that expanded US screening and compliance measures had affected issuance. The US State Department has published monthly issuance data only up to February 2026, so no comparable figure is public for this summer.
Under State Department guidance issued on June 18, 2025, applicants for student and exchange visitor visas were required to make their social media profiles public for review.
The ITA counts entries rather than individuals, includes dependants on F-2 and M-2 visas, and records arrivals by country of residence. Its August and September figures are preliminary. The data do not show how many visas were issued, how many students enrolled or why arrivals fell. The US Embassy in New Delhi and the ITA did not immediately respond to HT’s queries.
Also Read | Rubio says US immigration curbs not aimed at India, blames 'mass migration' for visa crackdown
Arrivals and Visa Refusal Rates
Arrivals also fell 17.3% year-on-year in June and 30.6% in July. September arrivals rose 5% to 12,285 from 11,700, a gain of 585 that offset little of August’s shortfall of 16,219, and remained 37.5% below September 2024’s 19,641. From June to September, arrivals totalled 53,714, down 28.2% from 2025 and 59.7% from 2024.
An April paper by US-based education company Shorelight, using government data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, found the F-1 visa refusal rate for Indian applicants rose from 36% in fiscal 2023 to 53% in 2024 and 61% in 2025.
Consultants Cite Costs and Uncertainty
Consultants also cited higher rejection rates, employment prospects and the rising cost of education, which together, they said, were prompting students and families to reconsider their plans. Vinu Warrier, managing partner and founder of eduVelocity Global, said US universities’ admission timelines had not been delayed. “US universities continue to follow their usual admission timelines, with no significant delays reported,” he said.
Anil Wagde, a core team member at Global Empower Network, which advises students on studying abroad, said students had complained about a lack of visa-stamping appointments. “There are some students who have now started postponing their travel to later semesters due to delays in visa issuance,” he said.
A spokesperson for IDP Education, an international education services firm, said appointment shortages and higher rejection rates were affecting students’ travel plans, while proposed changes to Optional Practical Training (OPT) and a new Duration of Status rule were prompting families to weigh costs against future employment prospects. “Fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate are affecting affordability, leading families to focus more on return on investment (ROI) when planning their education,” the spokesperson said, adding that students were reviewing their options amid the policy uncertainty.
Also Read | US legal immigration falls by half under Trump as visa restrictions hit 91 countries
Proposed OPT Fees and Duration of Status Rule
OPT lets F-1 students work in their field during or after their degree. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed on October 8 that institutions pay $70,000 per student for a first OPT period and $30,000 for each later one. A separate DHS rule, finalised on July 17, would replace Duration of Status, under which students are admitted without a fixed end date, with fixed periods of up to four years. A federal court in Massachusetts blocked it on September 14, a day before it was to take effect, and the government has appealed.
Vinu Warrier said inconsistent policies on academic visas, temporary work visas and green cards were eroding confidence in the US as a study destination. “The biggest reassurance you would need is stability, certainty,” he said.
Consultants said some students were considering alternatives such as Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, while others were weighing private universities in India or waiting for greater clarity over visa rules and job prospects.
Frequently Asked Questions
