Indian students face setback as US visa approvals drop by 62 per cent despite making up majority groups

The number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals fell by 62 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year, marking a significantly steeper decline than the 34 per cent drop recorded for Chinese students, according to a report by a US-based think tank.

The report, authored by George Fishman, Senior Legal Fellow at the Centre for Immigration Studies (CIS), said the US issued 22,149 student visas to Indian nationals in 2025, down sharply from 58,694 in 2024. In comparison, student visas issued to Chinese nationals declined to 40,034 in 2025 from 61,075 a year earlier.

Presented by the Centre for Immigration Studies, the report examined trends in foreign student visa issuance and participation in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, which allows eligible international students to work temporarily in the US after completing their studies.

Indian, Chinese students largest groups in US

Despite the sharp decline in visa issuance, Indian and Chinese students remained the two largest international student groups in the United States.

According to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) annual census for the 2024-25 academic year, 363,019 students from India and 265,919 from China were enrolled in US post-secondary institutions, together accounting for 53 per cent of the country’s international student population.

The report also noted that nearly 300,000 foreign students were employed in the US under the OPT programme during the same period. Of the 294,253 students participating in OPT, 143,740, or 49 per cent, were from India, while 61,981, or 21 per cent, were from China.

Report seeks end to OPT programme

Fishman argued that the OPT programme should be scrapped, claiming it undermines employment opportunities and wages for American workers.

“I have advocated for the termination of OPT in order to protect the wages and employment opportunities of American students and workers, and end the George W. Bush and Obama administrations’ disgraceful use of the OPT programme to subvert the will of Congress,” he said.

The report contended that reducing the number of international students entering the OPT pipeline, particularly those from India and China, would lessen what it described as the programme’s impact on the US labour market.

The CIS analysis also highlighted that student visa issuance is heavily concentrated in the months leading up to the academic year. Between May and August 2024, 77 per cent of all F-1 visas issued to Indian students and 76 per cent of those granted to Chinese students were approved during this peak application period.

OPT allows foreigners on student visas to work for employers in the US, generally after graduating or completing the coursework for their degrees. Such people can generally receive up to 12 months of work authorisation, with those in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) fields eligible for an additional 24-month extension, for a total of up to 36 months of employment.

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