Life for Indian Students in Trump's America Gets Tougher

With a dream to study law in the United States (US), 23-year-old James (name changed) had taken the now-defunct Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in 2024.

- SANKET KOUL

While he got 98.7 percentile in the exams, his wish to study in the US was put on hold due to the recent changes in student visa norms.

"I was advised by my friends in the US to not apply this year," he said. There are two reasons why, he said. "One is the association in terms of you being a foreigner and then there is the added fact that you are consistently scrutinized and cannot speak openly anymore," James added.

He is now waiting for things to mellow down and planning to try again next year.

James is one of the many Indian students who are either delaying their US study plans or completely rethinking their options.

His decision stems from US President Donald Trump administration's move to ask embassies to vet social media handles of all potential candidates before giving them a visa appointment.

The US Embassy in New Delhi can now ask applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to adjust their social media privacy settings to "public." This is for checking an applicant's identity and admissibility to the country under US law.

While an F visa is typically used by students wanting to pursue academic or English courses at accredited US institutions, the M visa can be applied for by non-academic or vocational students.

The J visa is usually for researchers, scholars and students who are part of any exchange programs.