US Faces Sharp Decline In Indian Student Arrivals As Visa Approvals Drop By 70–80%

Last Updated:July 19, 2025, 07:04 is

While the US authorities had earlier assured that visa slots would be released in phases, the process has lacked transparency.

The United States is recording a sharp drop in the arrival of Indian students amid the visa crisis by the Trump administration. Education consultants reveal a 70 percent decline in outbound student traffic from Hyderabad.

According to a report by the Times of India, citing Hyderabad Overseas Consultant Sanjeev Rai, most students who plan to study abroad have already completed their visa interviews and are getting ready to travel. However, this year is different.

“By this time usually, most students are done with their visa interviews and are preparing to fly. This year, we’re still refreshing the portal every day hoping for a slot to open. It’s the worst in years,” he was quoted as saying by TOI.

While the US authorities had earlier assured that visa slots would be released in phases, the process has lacked transparency.

The students who have booked the slots already have not received confirmation.

Ankit Jain from Window Overseas Education Consultancy told TOI that the only plausible explanation for slots appearing without confirmed bookings might be that the US is testing its system.

With the ongoing issues, students are also considering other countries as options.

“I really could not wait. I might just lose out on a year. It looks like a dead end at this point; hence, I decided to withdraw my application,” said a 23-year-old, who is now also considering Germany for pursuing a master’s in automotive engineering.

Another student from I20 Fever consultancy said that, “If slots aren’t released in the next few days, thousands of dreams will be shattered. We are seeing about an 80% drop. We’re getting panic calls every day from students and their parents.”

One emerging issue is the unusually high rejection rate among students who applied as early as March and had already secured visa interview appointments.

“Many students who usually would have had smooth approvals are being turned away. Their social media was also clean. The only reason that everyone seems to be receiving is 214B,” said Jain.

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