# US student visas for Indians fell 62% in 2025, report says

2026-08-06T11:22:08+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The US issued 22,149 F-1 student visas to Indian nationals between May and August 2025, down 62% from 58,694 a year earlier, according to a Centre for Immigration Studies report. Visas for Chinese nationals fell 34% to 40,034. The report compared the months when most student visas are issued before the academic year. Indian students remained the largest foreign student group in US higher education, numbering 363,019 in 2024-25, compared with 265,919 Chinese students. The two groups made up 53% of all international students. The report said 143,740 Indian graduates were working under the Optional Practical Training programme, which it urged the US government to scrap.

## Coverage

- livemint.com <https://www.livemint.com/news/world/us-f-1-visas-issued-to-indian-chinese-students-declined-dramatically-in-2025-new-report-reveals-11786004793444.html>
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-student-visas-for-indians-drop-62-cis-report-urges-scrapping-of-opt-programme/articleshow/133007856.cms>

Tags: F-1 visas, Indian students, international education, OPT, US student visas
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