In the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament 2025, the government is being asked what it is doing to engage in diplomatic dialogue to address concerns of affected Indian students, and steps being taken to safeguard their interests.
Currently, there are about 4 lakh Indian students pursuing studies in the US and each year, about a lakh students get F-1 study visas.
Questions Raised
Questions are raised on the number of Indian students pursuing education in the United States, and the number of Indian students who left for the US on student visas in the last five years.
The question was also raised whether the Government is aware of the recent restrictions imposed by U.S. authorities on issuing student visas and restrictions on institutes like Harvard to take in foreign students.
Govt Reply
The government’s reply to the unstarred question raised in Lok Sabha was:
As per the June 2025 SEVIS Mapping Pool Data brought out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a total number of 372,424 Indian nationals are pursuing various educational programs (primary, secondary, other vocational, high school, language training, flight school, associate, bachelors, masters, doctorate, and others) of different time durations in the United States of America.
As per data brought out by the U.S. Department of State, the number of student visas issued by the U.S. Embassy and its Consulates in India to Indian nationals for educational purposes over each of the past five years is as follows:
2019-20: 20,628
2020-21: 85,385
2021-22: 126,431
2022-23: 143,811
2023-24: 99,169
In April 2025, several international students in the U.S. were confronted with a situation wherein their SEVIS or Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records were terminated, followed by an email informing them that their student visa had been revoked, putting them at risk of deportation proceedings.
The Indian Embassy and the Indian Consulates in the U.S. received a number of representations from Indian students in the U.S. regarding revocation of their student visas and/or termination of their SEVIS records.
For some students, the notification of the loss of their legal status was accompanied by the suggestion that they self-deport. Some students used the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App to voluntarily notify the U.S. government and self-deport, so that they may still have the opportunity to return legally to the U.S. in the future.
Several international students challenged the revocation of their student visas and termination of their SEVIS records and filed lawsuits against the U.S. government, alleging that they were denied due process and that the terminations were unlawful.
However, in early May 2025, in a significant policy reversal, the U.S. government reinstated thousands of visas for international students and recent graduates whose legal status had been abruptly revoked. The reinstatement of visas did offer temporary relief to several affected students.
The U.S. administration has since signalled plans to introduce a new policy framework for visa terminations, potentially expanding revocation grounds to include participation in political protests or actions perceived as hostile to the administration.
Amid ongoing legal battles and shifting policies, the uncertainty continues to affect the international student community and may have lasting impacts on those considering studying in the U.S.
The US Embassy in New Delhi, in an advisory of June 2025, conveyed that the grant of a student visa does not guarantee the continued stay of the student in the United States.
They confirmed that the visa monitoring continues post-approval and rule-breaking can lead to revocation of the visa and deportation. Skipping classes or leaving the course without notifying the School/University; minor infractions such as driving without a licence, DUI or driving under intoxication incidents, or getting a ticket for speeding or parking violation; engaging in political activism or protests; or overstaying beyond the student visa validity can result in termination of the relevant student visa and future U.S. visas could also be denied.
On 18 June 2025, the U.S. Department of State issued a Press Release titled, ‘Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants.’
The press release states that the U.S. utilizes all available information in its visa screening and vetting process to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security.
Under the new guidance, the U.S. would conduct a comprehensive vetting, including online presence of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
To facilitate this vetting, the U.S. has required all applicants to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public.”
The new U.S. guidance mentions that every visa adjudication is a national security decision, and calls on all applicants to credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.
The government clarified that the issuance of a visa and the related policy and processes are the sovereign prerogative of the concerned state.
However, the Government of India has been regularly raising all issues being confronted by Indian students with the U.S. authorities at various levels.
The Ministry of External Affairs continues to remain engaged with the relevant U.S. authorities to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel, while addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking by taking strong action against the bad actors, criminal facilitators, and illegal immigration networks.
The government also informed that the U.S. Embassy is working to open a limited number of additional student visa appointments through the end of August in recognition of the urgent need for these appointments before the start of the new academic year. Also, the US Embassy is developing a student visa fact sheet with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that should help reduce uncertainty around this issue.