US student visas for Indians in March-May lowest since Covid

THE US STUDENT visa season is off to a slow start for Indians, with the number of F-1 visas issued between March and May falling to the lowest level for these months since the pandemic, according to the latest available data from the US State Department.

- ABHINAYA HARIGOVIND

The months from March to June typically mark the peak period for students preparing to begin their studies in the Fall semester (August/September).

From March to May this year, Indian students were issued 9,906 F-1 (academic) visas—even lower than the corresponding period in 2022 (10,894), when international travel had just resumed post-Covid (see chart). A total of 14,987 F-1 visas were issued in these months in 2023, and 13,478 in 2024.

The dip comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on international students, including visa revocations for several students—some of them Indian—linked to pro-Palestine protests or interactions with law enforcement, as well as a two-week pause (May 27 to June 18) on fresh applications to implement stricter vetting of applicants' social media activity.