US Student Visas Decline By One-Fifth From Last Year, Hitting Indians Hard

Current Situation on Dramatic US Study Visa Decline in 2025

Indian students make up a significant part of the international students enrolled in US universities and colleges. Let us now understand the current position of US study visa decline in India through the points below:

• Indian students experience a massive 44.5% drop in study visa issuances from United States.

• Followed by Indians, Chinese students also faced a drop in US student visas.

• Also, muslim-majority countries saw major declines. Iran is the top country with a significant drop in visa decline, with 86%.

• In August, the US issued 313,138 student visas for the fall intake, which is a 19.1% decrease compared to August 2024.

It is to be noted that the above-mentioned data does not represent the students who are already in US on visas issued previously before such restrictive policies by President Donald Trump.

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Why a Massive Decline in US Study Visa Numbers in India?

We can observe a drastic decline in the number of student visas issued from US to Indian students because of mainly the crackdown by Donald Trump. This dramatic decline in US study visa issuance is seen significantly in India, followed by China, and other Muslim majority countries such as Iran. Let us check the points below to understand the major reasons for a one-fifth drop in visa numbers from USA:

• Tighter screening, such as requirements and longer processing times for visas.

• Social media scrutiny where US consulates in India scan public profiles of students. Any negative posts result in rejection of US study visa.

• From May to mid-June 2025, the F1 visa interviews were paused, leading to a halt in US visa issuance for the fall admission intake in US.

• Many visa applications in India with excellent academic records were rejected due to questionable “strong ties to India.”

How One-Fifth Decline in US Study Visa Numbers Impact Indian Students?

Indian students dreaming of studying at top US universities, including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc, are really anxious because of the current situation. With declining study visa approvals from United States in India, here is how it will hit Indian students:

• Shattered dreams of studying in US with no visa approval.

• Time and financial losses when they have invested money for visa application, entrance exams, and other costs and get their visa rejected.

• Interest of Indian students in studying in US will decrease in the next years. Other alternative countries such as Germany, UAE, New Zealand, etc, will gain popularity for studying abroad in 2026.

• Indian students contribute a major part of US economy. With fewer Indian students, US universities and colleges can lose billions of dollars as a part of tuition fees.

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Conclusion

Indian students have been hit hard by the dramatic drop in one-fifth of US student visa issuance. With a year-on-year decline of around 46% in Indian student arrivals in USA, the dip is quite real. Many students aspire to the American dream. However, with increased rejection of study visas from United States in India, the American dream for Indian students is under a big question.