The Indian government has especially made student visas and related issues its key concerns this past week. Pushing out two news releases within two days, the Ministry of External Affairs addressed how US restrictions, and expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants amid the Trump administration’s enhanced immigration crackdown have affected students of Indian origin. In the meantime, a local US report has laid out part of the picture spelling out how exactly Indian students have been hit in the process and how crucial their contributions are to the US.
Bringing us coverage from Raleigh, Durham and surrounding areas in North Carolina, The News&Observer reported that more than 7,000 Indians were enrolled for higher studies at North Carolina universities last year, as per US State Department and Institute of International Education’s joint data.
2024 data: Indians the largest international student group in US
These number accorded Indians as the largest foreign student group, making for 29% of the state’s total international student enrollment, leaving even Chinese students behind. Forget the state, the entire nation recently embraced India as the top-most country for international students at US colleges, as over 331,000 Indian nationals were found to be studying in America in 2024.
The stark reminder comes a month ahead of the commencement of the fall semester in US universities, signalling the urgency among students to secure their visas for future travel abroad. However, this period has been nothing short of an unsettling challenge for visa applicants hailing from the South Asian country.
US lawmakers raise student visa delay concerns: Letter to Rubio
Numerous complaints about potential visa delays from Indian students and their families have already witnessed a surge, as also recounted in a recent Indian government press release. On top of that, members of US Congress (14 Democrats and 1 Republican) representing research universities penned a letter to State Secretary Marco Rubio on July 24.
In an attempt to address visa appointment delays, the Congress members wrote, “We are concerned by reports from our constituent universities about Indian students who have been unable to obtain visas to continue their education in the United States.” They went on to note how significant Indian students’ university fees contributions were to the US economy, especially since they amount to $9 billion annually.
Further emphasising how these “bright young individuals” contribute to science and research, keeping the US “competitive,” the lawmakers urged Rubio to respond to two questions by August 8.
- “What specific measures are being implemented to restore full student visa processing
operations in India so students can attend classes in the U.S. during the upcoming fall
semester?” - “What strategies are in place to manage the current backlog and ensure equitable access to visa appointments for all eligible students?”
How the Indian government addressed the student visa crisis
Last week, the Indian Government declared that the red-flags about student visa appointments had been raised to the US Embassy in New Delhi and the US Department of State. Back in May, US reports amplified that the Trump government had halted student visa interviews in light of the intensified vetting of applicants’ social media accounts.
However, on July 24, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs notified that the US Embassy was on its path to opening a limited number of additional student visa appointments through the end of August. And yet, in the same breath, officials acknowledged that the US Embassy’s visa processing capacity had reduced in the face of additional security requirements.
The very next day, the ministry also released more specific data on how many student visas had been issued by the US Embassy and its Consulates in India to Indian nationals for educational purposes these past five years. The 2022-23 period soared to the top with 143,811, increasing from 2021-22’s 126,431. However, 2023-24 noticed a slipping trend, with only 99,169 student visas being issued.
Making matters even worse, official data from the first half of FY 2025 (Oct 2024-March 2025) noted that the visa issuance rate, for India specifically, had dropped by 43.5%, as compared to where it stood during the same period the previous year.