The US has always been the top choice for international students seeking to study and pursue careers. However, 2025 is turning out to be a watershed year for foreign students and also for US universities.
President Trump, during his election campaign, promised green cards to foreign students passing out of US universities. However, after assuming power, the Trump administration has unleashed several measures that appear to be unwelcoming for international students.
It started with the revocation of F-1 study visas and later, SEVP status was removed for the students. The State Department reportedly has revoked more than 6,000 international student visas because of violations of US law and overstays.
This practice stopped after courts intervened and made the Trump administration restore student status.
However, there are at least 5 points that foreign students, including Indians applying for a US Visa and landing up in America to complete their studies, should be aware of.
1. Visa Appointments
In May, the Trump administration completely banned study visa interview appointments. However, in June, they resumed the process for all foreign students to book appointment slots for study visas.
2. Social Media Accounts
The US State Department resumed the student visa application process for foreign students but they were subject to some strict rules. All applicants have been asked to set their social media accounts to ‘public’ for official review.
The new vetting process includes examining an applicant’s entire internet presence, not just social media activity, and asks officers to use relevant search engines or online resources.
3. Addressing the delays
F-1 Visa appointment slots are not readily available for Indian students. US lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address recent delays for Indian students seeking to obtain student visa appointments. As many US colleges commence their fall semesters next month, the lawmakers urged the State Department to swiftly address visa appointment delays.
4. Interview Waiver
The U.S. Department of State has announced that most non-immigrant visa applicants will be required to attend in-person interviews starting September 2, 2025. From September, H-1B and F-1 student visa holders with expired visas less than 12 months prior to a new application will no longer be eligible for the Interview Waiver benefit.
5. Fee Hike
Traveling to the United States will now be substantially more expensive, as the country has introduced two new visa fees, which could be enforced soon. In addition to the visa processing fee for U.S. visas, nonimmigrants will soon be required to pay two additional fees: the Visa Integrity Fee and the fee for Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. In addition to the processing fee, there are other charges as well, depending on the type of visa.
The US visa fee is set to rise by 148% for non-petition-based visas, including B1/B2 for Business, Tourism, Medical treatment, Visitor Visas, F-1, F2, and student visas.