US student visas for Indians from March to May lowest since 2022

The number of United States student visas issued to Indians between March and May was at itslowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic year 2022, showed data from the US State Department.

The number of F-1 visas issued to Indians between March and May decreased by about 27% as compared to the same period in 2024.

An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows students from other countries to study in the US.

The period between March and May is considered to be a busy period for student visa applications as the fall intake – which is the preferred entry point for most international students – begins in August and September at most US universities.

Between March and May this year, 9,906 Indians were granted F-1 academic visas. The number was 13,478 in 2024, just short of 15,000 in 2023 and 10,894 in 2022.

The decrease in Indians being issued F-1 visas came amid the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on international students. Trump began his second term as the US president in January.

Washington has taken aggressive actions to try to enforce its demands on universities, including freezing hundreds of millions of dollars in university funding, revoking visas and attempting to deport international students. However, many of these measures have been blocked by the...

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