US student visas for Indians plunge 62% as F-1 scrutiny tightens
New Delhi, August 5, 2026 — The number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals during the peak admission season fell by 62% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to an analysis of US State Department data by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS).
The US issued just 22,149 F-1 visas to Indian students between May and August 2025, down from 58,694 in the same period in 2024. The drop also represents a 60% decline compared to the average for the same window between 2017–19 and 2021–24.
Why the sharp fall?
The steep decline comes as the Trump administration has tightened screening for international students. New measures include expanded vetting of applicants’ social media activity, longer interview wait times and stricter documentation requirements.
In May 2025, the US temporarily paused new student visa interview appointments worldwide before resuming them with enhanced screening procedures. The administration also broadened mandatory social media vetting for F, M and J visa applicants, requiring them to make their profiles publicly accessible for review.
Impact on Indian students
The May–August window is critical because most international students receive visas ahead of the fall academic intake. In 2024, nearly 77% of all F-1 visas issued to Indians were granted during this period.
The sharp drop has raised concerns among Indian students, education consultants and US universities. Many students now face greater uncertainty, longer processing times and higher rejection risks.
Broader trend
Indian and Chinese nationals together account for nearly 70% of students working under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme in the US. The CIS analysis notes that Chinese F-1 visa issuances also fell by 34% in the same period.
Data shared in India’s Rajya Sabha earlier this year showed that the total number of Indian students in the US fell by 6.9% between February 2025 and February 2026, from 378,787 to 352,644.
Experts say the tighter visa regime could reduce the number of Indian graduates entering the US workforce and push more students to consider alternative study destinations such as Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany.
