Now Reading: US student visas for Indians drop 62% in 2025 season
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US student visas for Indians drop 62% in 2025 season
Indian nationals received just 22,149 F-1 student visas between May and August 2025, a 62% drop from 58,694 in the same period last year, according to data from the Centre for Immigration…
The Story in Brief
Indian nationals received just 22,149 F-1 student visas between May and August 2025, a 62% drop from 58,694 in the same period last year, according to data from the Centre for Immigration Studies reported by The Federal. Chinese students also saw a 34% decline to 40,034 visas. Despite the plunge, India remains the top source of international students in the US with 363,019 enrolled in 2024-25.
The sharp fall comes amid tighter immigration rules under the Trump administration, including a replacement of the long-standing duration-of-status policy with a fixed admission period, shorter post-graduation grace periods, and stricter rules for changing programmes. Proposals to restrict the Optional Practical Training programme, which employs nearly 1.44 lakh Indians, remain under discussion.
The Indian Opinion
Headlines about the fading American Dream for Indian students are premature. The 62% visa drop is real, but it reflects Trump-era policy tightening, not a sudden disinterest in studying abroad. India still sent over 22,000 students in peak season. The real test will come when the new fixed-period admission rule takes effect in September and if OPT restrictions are finalised. Will the US still attract Indian STEM talent, or will other destinations gain?
Source: thefederal.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
