Students waiting in queue for an interview for visa at the U.S. Consulate. Photo used for representational purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Paul Noronha
The United States issued nearly one-fifth fewer student visas in August following a crackdown by President Donald Trump, led by a steep drop for India, which was overtaken by China as the top country of origin, data showed on Monday (October 7, 2025).
The United States issued 3,13,138 student visas in August, the most common start month for U.S. universities, a drop of 19.1% from the same month in 2024, according to the International Trade Administration.
India, which last year was the top source of foreign students to the United States, saw the most dramatic drop with 44.5% fewer student visas issued than a year earlier.
Visa issuance also dropped for Chinese students but not nearly at the same rate. The United States issued 86,647 visas to students from mainland China in August, more than double the number issued to Indians.
The statistics do not reflect overall numbers of U.S.-based international students, many of whom remain on previously issued visas.
Trump administration crackdown
Mr. Trump has put a top priority since returning to the White House both on curbing immigration and on restructuring universities, which his administration sees as a key power base of the left.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly suspended processing of student visas in June, a peak month, as he issued orders that U.S. embassies vet applicants’ social media.
Mr. Rubio has revoked thousands of student visas, often due to criticism of Israel, on the grounds that he can refuse entry to people who go against U.S. foreign policy interests.
In rules that affect Indians in particular, the Trump administration has made it more difficult for applicants to apply for visas outside jurisdictions of the U.S. consulates in their home countries, even if there are backlogs.
Mr. rump has taken a series of actions at odds with India, which for decades had been courted by U.S. policymakers of both parties who saw the billion-plus nation as a natural counterweight to China.
Mr. Trump has also imposed a hefty new fee on H-1B visas, which are used largely by Indian technology workers.
Mr. Trump, however, has voiced hope for ramping up the number of Chinese students to boost relations between the two powers, a sharp contrast to earlier messaging from Rubio who had vowed to “aggressively” revoke visas from Chinese students he accuses of exploiting US technical knowhow.
The latest figures also show a sharp drop in student visas from many Muslim-majority countries, with admissions from Iran dropping by 86%.
Published – October 08, 2025 10:56 am IST
