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Indian students are witnessing a massive drop in study visas issued to them. The latest data from the US State Department shows there was a 38 per cent decline in F-1 student visas issued to Indian nationals in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year.
Data from the Bureau of Consular Affairs' monthly reports show Indian students were granted 64,008 F-1 visas between January and September this year, a steep fall from 1,03,495 visas issued during the same period in 2023.
This is the least number of visas issued to Indian students since the pandemic-affected 2020, when just 6,646 requests were considered during the same timeframe. In a post-pandemic rebound, a total of 93,181 Indian students were given F-1 visas between January 2022 and September 2022, while in 2021, the number stood at 65,235.
However, the decline is not unique to Indian students, as Chinese students, the second largest international cohort in the US, also witnessed an 8 per cent decline in the issuance of F-1 visas in 2024.
As per the official data, a total of 73,781 F-1 visas were issued to Chinese students in the first nine months of 2024, down from 80,603 issued during the same time frame in 2023. The number was, however, still higher than the 52,034 F-1 visas issued to Chinese students in 2022.
About F1 Visa
An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa which permits international students from across the world to study full-time in the United States. It is the most common visa status for students from other countries in the US.
Interestingly, in 2024, Indians surpassed Chinese non-migrants to become the largest cohort of overseas students in the United States. As per the Open Doors 2024 report, 3,31,000 Indian students were studying in US institutions during the 2023-24 academic year, compared to 2,68,923 the previous year.
At the same time, the count of Chinese students declined in the US. The Open Doors 2024 report said there were 2,77,398 Chinese students in the US in 2023-24, nearly 12,000 less than 2,89,526 in 2022-23. China also witnessed an 8 per cent decline in the issuance of F-1 visas in 2024.