US F-2 visa: 38% decline in student visas issued to Indians in 2024

After driving the post-pandemic surge in international student enrolments, India is now seeing a drop in student visa numbers to the United States. Data from the US State Department indicates a 38 per cent decline in F-1 student visas issued to Indian nationals in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

 

The Bureau of Consular Affairs’ monthly reports show that between January and September this year, 64,008 F-1 visas were granted to Indian students, a steep fall from 1,03,495 in the same period last year. By comparison, 65,235 visas were issued during the same months in 2021, while 93,181 were granted in 2022. In the pandemic-affected year of 2020, just 6,646 visas were issued in the same timeframe.

 

China sees a decline too

 

The decline is not confined to Indian students, though it is far more pronounced. Chinese students, the second-largest group of international students in the US, also saw a drop in F-1 visa issuances — a decline of 8 per cent, with 73,781 visas issued between January and September this year, compared to 80,603 in 2023. Despite the dip, the 2024 figure remains higher than the 52,034 visas issued to Chinese students during the same period in 2022.

 

The F-1 visa is specifically for international students attending academic institutions in the US and accounts for over 90 per cent of all student visas issued annually.

 

Indian students largest International cohorts at American universities

 

The fall in F-1 visa numbers comes on the heels of two milestones achieved by Indian students in the US. For the first time in the 2022-2023 financial year (October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023), India surpassed China in the issuance of new student visas. Furthermore, the latest Open Doors 2024 report revealed that Indian students became the largest international cohort at American universities in 2023-24, overtaking Chinese students.

 

The report detailed that 3,31,000 Indian students were studying in the US during 2023-24, representing 29.4 per cent of the approximately 1.1 million international students. In contrast, the number of Chinese students stood at 2,77,000, accounting for 24.6 per cent of the total international student population.

 

Comparisons over the years

 

2020: 6,646 F-1 visas issued to Indian students (pandemic impact)

2021: 65,235 visas

2022: 93,181 visas

2023: 1,03,495 visas

2024: 64,008 visas (January to September)