US student visa: Bad news for Indian students as you may have to shelve US college dreams due to…

Indian students dreaming of studying in the United States are now facing tough times. According to data from the U.S. State Department, there has been a big drop in the number of F1 visas being issued to Indian students. This change is making it more difficult for many young Indians to pursue higher education in America.

In the U.S. fiscal year 2024 (from October 1 to September 30), Indian students were issued 86,067 F1 visas, which is a 34 per cent drop compared to the previous year. The situation worsened in the first five months of 2025 (January to May), when only 11,484 visas were granted which is 29 per cent fewer than the 16,105 issued during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, a neighboring country with tense relations with India, actually saw a 28 per cent increase in student visas. China, which competes with India in sending students to the U.S., experienced only an 8 per cent decrease.

Trump’s tough visa policies make it harder for Indian Students

Just like during his first term, Donald Trump has once again tightened U.S. visa rules. In May 2025, U.S. embassies were instructed to pause student visa appointments and conduct strict background checks, including deep reviews of applicants’ social media profiles.

According to data from Open Doors, over 1.1 million international students were studying at American colleges and universities in the 2023–24 academic year. Out of these, more than 330,000 were from India, meaning 1 in every 3 international students was Indian.

But now, with Trump’s new restrictions, the path to U.S. education has become even tougher for Indian students.

Getting US visa was always a challenge for  foreign students

Even before these recent changes, getting into the U.S. was becoming difficult for foreign students. In 2024, 41 per cent of student visa applications were rejected, the highest rejection rate seen in the past decade.

Now, the rising tensions between Washington and New Delhi are making things worse for Indian students. Just last week, the Trump administration threatened to impose a 25 per cent retaliatory tariff on Indian exports, this has now been increased to 50 per cent. In comparison, Pakistan faces only a 19 per cent tariff.

Social Media Scrutiny Tightens

In July 2025, the U.S. State Department introduced a new rule requiring all student and exchange visa applicants to publicly share their social media profiles. If applicants refuse, it could raise suspicion and increase the chances of visa rejection.

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