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Donald Trump’s H-1B and student visa rules slam doors on Indian marriages, study plans
Tighter US immigration rules are affecting marriage prospects in India, with families hesitant to marry their children to Indian citizens in the US.
Tighter US immigration rules are reshaping not just careers, but marriages in India. Many families are now wary of marrying their children to Indian citizens working in the US, fearing visa uncertainties could jeopardise jobs and immigration status.
Nineteen-year-old medical student Sidhi Sharma from Haryana recently abandoned plans to marry an NRI, news agency Reuters reported. “I had always dreamed of settling in the US after marriage,” she told Reuters. “Trump has shut the door for me,” she added.
“Immigration policies may be written in Washington, but their ripple effects are seen at Indian dinner tables when families discuss marriages,” said Anuradha Gupta, founder of matchmaking service Vows For Eternity.
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From prized prospects to uncertain matches
The US hosts 2.1 million NRIs, once highly sought-after marriage prospects in India. But Trump’s H-1B overhaul, which affects skilled workers (71 per cent of them Indian), has cooled that demand.
“For years, there was a craze for NRI grooms,” said Vanaja Rao, founder of Vanaja Rao Quick Marriages. “That craze has faded since Trump returned to power, especially over the past six months.”
Families are delaying weddings as uncertainty rises. “It’s not just H-1B, it’s general immigration unpredictability,” said a 26-year-old Indian in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Premium matchmaking platform Knot.dating introduced a 'US visa filter' on its app as it expanded into India's south.
The company's co-founder and CEO Jasveer Singh said many families there were particularly keen on NRIs. About 1,000 NRIs signed up, 60 per cent on H-1B visas, 40 per cent on green cards. “Visa status has become a deal-maker or breaker,” said CEO Jasveer Singh.
Students hit too
Visa curbs are hitting students as well. Kaushik Raj, an Indian journalist accepted at Columbia University with a $100,000 scholarship, was denied a visa.
“The US government briefly stopped issuing student visas, then there were no slots,” Raj told HT. Even after getting an appointment, his visa was refused following a social media check. “They rejected me after asking for my social media details,” he said.
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US President Donald Trump, soon after coming to power, ordered the American embassies to stop scheduling new visa interview appointments for students. Though the Trump administration resumed the process a month later, applications have since significantly dipped.
Student visa arrivals from India fell 50 per cent in August 2025 compared to last year, while overall US student arrivals dropped 19 per cent, International Trade Administration data shows.
The new reality
Trump’s visa squeeze has dimmed the allure of the US for both marriage and study. Families now look at Canada, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East as alternatives.
“When families consider marriage, it’s about long-term stability, not just love or lifestyle,” said Gupta. “The US is no longer the ultimate aspiration.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
