The US State Department revoked more than 6,000 student visas, aka F-1 visas, in 2025, according to a government official as quoted in American new reports, including CNN and Fox News.
Under the Donald Trump administration, immigration authorities, alongside embassies, and other government departments have repeatedly issued fresh warnings for those seeking to enter the United States using one visa classification or the other. The US authorities have particularly threatened foreign nationals with a criminal history through continued social media updates on X. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also long asserted that visas are mere privileges, and not a constitutional right.
Why were 6,000 student visa revoked this year?
As per Monday’s revelation, the State Department official again doubled down on the same statements, stating that international individuals in the country thanks to visas had overstayed their visit beyond their documentation expiration. They further established that most visa revocations had also been prompted by legal violations, as 4,000 of the said 6,000 visas were revoked because visa holders “broke the law.”
On top of that, the “vast majority” therein breaking the law was linked to cases of assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary and “support for terrorism.”
Of the total 6,000 student visas in question, approximately 200 to 300 were retracted due to visa holders’ alleged “terrorist related activities,” as per the Immigration and Nationality Act. As already seen since last year, Trump’s aggressive actions targeting universities and students has especially ramped up in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests taking over US colleges in the wake of the war in Gaza. The Trump government has, however, viewed most of these demonstrations as instances of antisemitism and acts supporting terrorism.
How much has the ongoing visa crackdown affected Indian students?
About 400,000 F-1 visas were issued in the fiscal year 2024, according to the State Department. However, revised social media vetting rules for those applying for the nonimmigrant visa categories F, J and M have even more significantly taken a toll on this year’s numbers.
Although final overall numbers are still awaited, NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International have already forecast a massive 30-40% slump in international student enrollment. This will, in turn, result in a 15% decline in overall enrollment this fall. The NAFSA analysis additionally took note of how the ever-changings scenario on the visa front “would deprive local economies of $7 billion in spending and more than 60,000 jobs.”
The NAFSA also warned that if the visa issuance rate doesn’t improve soon, up to 150,000 fewer students are expected to arrive in US universities for the fall semester, which also marks a new term for many, giving way to news admissions.
With more than 3.3 lakh Indians studying in the US last year, this particular group of foreign nationals accounted for the largest international students group in the country. Just months ago, however, a policy brief by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) divulged that nearly half of all international students facing visa revocations or (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) SEVIS record cancellations in the past few months as part of the State Department’s “Catch and Revoke” policy were Indian nationals.
Data compiled from 327 individual reports indicated that 50% of the students affected in the process were Indian nationals, with China’s 14% coming in second.
The staggering number hitting it out against Indian nationals walking on the student visa path have come to light at a time when the Trump government is also seeking to push out a new H-1B selection process, which could essentially pull the plug on the nonimmigrant ‘Specialty Occupations’ classification’s lottery system.