US student visas for Indians plunge 62% during peak admission season

Only 22,149 F-1 visas were issued to Indian students between May and August 2025, down from 58,694 a year earlier

The United States issued 62% fewer student visas to Indian nationals during the peak admission season for the 2025-26 academic year, marking one of the steepest declines in recent years.

 

According to an analysis of US State Department visa issuance data by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), only 22,149 F-1 student visas were issued to Indian nationals between May and August 2025, compared with 58,694 during the same period in 2024. Visa issuances were also 60% lower than the average recorded during the corresponding admission seasons between 2017-19 and 2021-24.

 

The decline comes despite India overtaking China as the largest source of international students in the United States. During the 2024-25 academic year, 363,019 Indian students were enrolled at American colleges and universities, accounting for 31% of the country's total international student population of 1.18 million. Together, Indian and Chinese students made up more than half of all international students studying in the US.

   

China also recorded a decline, although less severe than India's. F-1 visas issued to Chinese nationals fell to 40,034, down 34% from 2024 and 46% below the average of previous admission cycles.

 

Why the May-August period matters

 

The four-month period between May and August is critical because most student visas are issued before universities begin their academic year.

 

According to the analysis, 77% of all F-1 visas issued to Indian students in 2024 were granted during these months, making the decline particularly significant as an indicator of new student enrolment.

 

The sharp fall follows a series of changes introduced by the Trump administration, including enhanced vetting of international students, expanded social media screening and temporary pauses in visa interviews at US consulates, which contributed to slower visa processing.

 

OPT under renewed scrutiny

 

The CIS analysis argues that the decline in student visas could eventually reduce participation in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows international students to work in the United States after graduation.

 

During the 2024-25 academic year, 294,253 international graduates were employed under OPT, with Indian nationals accounting for nearly half (143,740) of all participants. Indians also represented the largest group under the STEM-OPT extension, which permits graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines to work in the US for up to three years after completing their studies.

 

The report contends that OPT has evolved into an alternative pathway for employers seeking skilled foreign workers beyond the annual H-1B visa cap, and argues that the programme disadvantages recent American graduates because employers receive payroll tax exemptions for OPT workers.