US visa curbs fallout: Indian students in US drop 6.9% to 352,644 in 2026

Indian student numbers in the US fall to 352,644 as stricter visa checks, monitoring rules and lower F-1 issuance affect enrolments

More than 350,000 Indian students are currently enrolled across US institutions, from school-level programmes to doctoral courses, but the numbers have dipped over the past year, the Parliament was informed on Thursday in a written response.

 

Data shared in the Rajya Sabha shows that 352,644 Indian students were studying in the United States as of February 2026, down from 378,787 in February 2025, a decline of around 6.9 per cent.

 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was responding to questions on whether student enrolments have fallen, and if limited visa slots and higher rejection rates are playing a role.

   

Data sourced from US system

 

In a written reply, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh cited figures from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Mapping Tool, maintained by the US Department of Homeland Security.

 

The data covers a wide range of programmes, including:

 

• Primary and secondary schooling

• Vocational and language training

• Flight schools and associate degrees

• Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes

 

The figures show:

 

February 2025: 378,787 Indian students

February 2026: 352,644 Indian students

Overall decline: Around 6.9 per cent

 

What has changed in US visa rules?

 

The MEA was also asked whether tighter visa scrutiny has contributed to the drop.

 

Singh referred to a June 18, 2025 press release by the US Department of State titled “Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants”.

 

The guidance sets out stricter checks for applicants, especially those applying under F, M, and J visa categories.

 

Under the updated rules:

 

• All available information is used to assess applicants

• Authorities check whether applicants are “inadmissible” or pose a security risk

• Social media activity is reviewed as part of the process

 

“To facilitate this vetting, the US has required all applicants to adjust the privacy settings on their social media profiles to ‘public’,” Singh said.

 

He added that visa decisions are now treated as security decisions, with applicants expected to clearly demonstrate their eligibility and intent.

 

“A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” the current US administration has said.

 

Post-visa monitoring and compliance rules

 

The MEA also pointed to tighter monitoring even after a visa is granted.

 

According to information shared by the US Embassy in New Delhi in June 2025, visa approval does not guarantee continued stay in the country.

 

Students must continue to comply with visa conditions, or risk losing their status.

 

Violations that can lead to revocation include:

 

• Dropping out of academic programmes without notice

• Minor legal offences such as driving without a licence or traffic violations

• Driving under the influence (DUI) or intoxication (DWI)

• Overstaying visa validity

• Engaging in activities not permitted under visa conditions

 

“The above measures, including increased scrutiny and compliance requirements, have had an impact on the number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals,” Singh said.

 

Sharp fall in F-1 visa issuance

 

Alongside policy changes, visa issuance trends also show a steep fall.

 

In the run-up to the 2025–26 academic intake:

 

• Visa interviews at US consulates were suspended for nearly a month in May 2025

• Thousands of student visas were revoked

• Plans were flagged to tighten visa duration and post-study work rules

• A travel ban affecting multiple countries was revived and later expanded to 39 countries

 

Data from the US State Department shows that F-1 visa issuance fell by 36 per cent between May and August 2025.

 

The drop was sharper for Indian students:

 

• Around 60 per cent decline compared to previous levels

• Only 22,870 new F-1 visas issued during those months

• Nearly 80 per cent drop recorded in July and August alone