Is US Still Relevant For Masters In 2025?

When it comes to academic excellence and abundant research opportunities for international students, the United States of America always remains one of the top study abroad destination choices. Students who do MS in the US can apply for the H-1B Visa for getting citizenship and permanent residency (PR) in the US.

This Story also Contains

1. What Is The New Citizenship Act In US About?
2. What will be the effect of the Citizenship Act on Indian students?
3. US V/S Other Study Abroad Destinations
4. What Should The Indian Students Do?
5. Is US Still Relevant for the Masters Program?

Recently, US President Donald Trump signed the “Citizenship Act” in January 2025. This crucial step has put the relevance of doing masters in the United States in doubt.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the impact of the Citizenship Act on international students, especially on the Indian students, to understand whether a masters degree from the top universities in the US is still a viable option in 2025 or not.

What Is The New Citizenship Act In US About?

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that cancelled the provision of “birthright citizenship in the United States.”. This order denies the provision of automatically giving American citizenship to the children who are born in the US, whose parents do not have legal immigration documents, or who are on temporary visas, like student visas or work permits like H-1B.

A US degree provides access to H-1B visas, with Indians being the most likely to qualify for these visas and eventually obtain US citizenship. However, the Citizenship Act has made it more challenging for Indians to obtain a US green card and eventually obtain US citizenship. This act can impact thousands of Indian professionals working in the US who were hoping to get settled there. Because of the ongoing legal battles, the US court has decided to temporarily block the order as of now.

Current Legal Status:

Also read: Top updates for H-1B visa reforms in US 2025

What will be the effect of the Citizenship Act on Indian students?

Is US still relevant for masters? As a consequence of this Citizenship Act, there might be several restrictions on F1 student visas and H-1B work visas, resulting in the following:

Decline in the number of US applications from India

After China, India is the second largest source of international student population in the United States. However, with this new Citizenship Act, there will be a decline in the number of US applicants from India. Due to the ongoing uncertainties, it is estimated that the number of visa applications will decline in 2025.

H-1B visa uncertainties

More than 70% of the H-1B visa holders in the US population are Indians. These are the working professionals who work there with the hopes of settling down in the US. The new act will certainly impose new restrictions, resulting in increasing the wait times of the visa application process.

Other study abroad destinations stealing the limelight

With the uncertainties of the US visa, other countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, and Ireland are becoming popular among international students. These countries offer much more predictable immigration policies than the US. For instance, the post-study work visa in Canada allows visa holders to directly apply for PR, making it even more attractive to international students. Hence, students are turning towards moving to these countries.

Explore more:

• Ireland going high in student enrollment

US V/S Other Study Abroad Destinations

Here is a major breakdown of the comparison between US and other countries in terms of tuition fees, post-study work visa, PR opportunities, and work visa.

What Should The Indian Students Do?

Is it worth doing MS in USA in 2025? Amidst the visa uncertainties, there are a few steps that Indian students can take. These are:

1. Consider alternative study abroad destinations: Knowing the visa masters in USA timeline, it is a wise decision to keep the options open when it comes to choosing countries with easy PR pathways. Also, research about the job market in the country that you want to settle in.

2. Pay more attention to the STEM fields: International students who are STEM graduates in the United States get a three-year OPT extension, enhancing their chances to get job opportunities in the US. Fields like AI, cybersecurity, and data science are some fields that are in high demand and have better visa approvals.

3. Stay informed about policy changes: International students should keep track of the legal battle regarding the executive order in the US. It is also a great idea to have a word with the university advisors or the immigration attorneys before making a decision to study abroad.

Is US Still Relevant for the Masters Program?

While a lot of international students are worried if it is a good time to do MS in US, evaluating all the factors is crucial. If the purpose of studying in US is to get admission to reputed universities like MIT, Harvard, or Stanford, for their exceptional academics, then the US is still relevant for a master's degree.

However, if the ongoing legal challenges to Trump’s executive order fail, then the long-term residency opportunities for H-1B visa holders may face a lot of complications in the future. Thus, it is important to see the present uncertainties with the spectacles of financial investment and full-time and part-time work opportunities in the US, as well as the immigration pathways, before doing MS in the US in 2025.