# Indian student applications to US colleges fall 15% over visa curbs 2026-08-24T23:56:57+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Indian undergraduate applications to US colleges dropped 15% in 2025-26, the steepest decline on record, the Common App report shows. Overall international applications fell 10% by March 1. India remains the top source country, with over 3.63 lakh students enrolled in 2024-25. The US government in July replaced the traditional 'duration of status' rule with a four-year cap on student visas. It is also considering a USD 100,000 fee for foreign students using the Optional Practical Training program to work after graduation. NAFSA and JB International estimate international student registrations will fall to 10.57 lakh in Fall 2026-27 from 11.69 lakh, cutting their economic contribution from USD 41.77 billion to USD 38.37 billion. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both outlets report the identical figures from the Common App and NAFSA reports, attributing the 15% drop in Indian undergraduate applications directly to US immigration tightening. Neither adds independent sourcing or commentary, so the coverage is uniform straight reporting. The core implication is economic: the projected USD 3.4 billion loss from international student spending signals that visa restrictions are already reshaping one of India's largest overseas education flows. The USCIS decision on the proposed USD 100,000 OPT fee remains the next concrete policy point to track. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Wire copy reproduced verbatim, no original framing or slant added. - telanganatoday.com (neutral report) Same wire copy, no independent editorial framing. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-25T03:31:52+00:00. Tags: Common App, Indian students, NAFSA, US immigration Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indian-undergraduate-applications-to-us-fall-15-in-2025-26/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indian-undergraduate-applications-to-us-fall-15-in-2025-26/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/