In a recent update from Washington DC, Indian students are facing a significant drop in study visas issued to them there.
Indian Students Facing Significant Drop In Study Visa
It appears that there is a 38 percent decline in F-1 student visas issued to Indian nationals during the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year, as per the latest data from the US State Department.
Interstingly, this decline is not unique to Indian students as Chinese students are also somewhat affected as the second largest international cohort in the US, also witnessed an 8 percent decline in the issuance of F-1 visas in 2024.
The same is indicated by the data from the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ monthly reports showing Indian students were granted 64,008 F-1 visas between January and September this year.
This shows a steep fall from 1,03,495 visas issued during the same period in 2023.
It holds a significance as this is also the least number of visas issued to Indian students since the pandemic-affected 2020.
Then it was just 6,646 requests were considered during the same timeframe.
Indians Becoming The Largest Cohort of Overseas Students In US
A total of 93,181 Indian students were given F-1 visas between January 2022 and September 2022, considering a post-pandemic rebound.
Before that the number stood at 65,235 during 2021.
A total of 73,781 F-1 visas were issued to Chinese students in the first nine months of 2024, down from 80,603 issued during the same time frame in 2023, revealed in the official data.
Although, this number still stood higher than the 52,034 F-1 visas issued to Chinese students in 2022.
As we know that F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which permits international students from across the world to study full-time in the United States.
Besides this, it is also counted as the most common visa status for students from other countries in the US.
It seems that that Indians had surpassed Chinese non-migrants to become the largest cohort of overseas students in the United States in 2024.
A total of 3,31,000 Indian students were studying in US institutions during the 2023-24 academic year which is quite higher as compared to 2,68,923 the previous year, as per the Open Doors 2024 report.
