Number of US Visa Granted to Indian Students Dips by 27%

The consequences of a restrictive immigration policy are now clearly visible with the number of student visas granted by the US government dropping, particularly to those hailing from China and India. As per the statistics submitted by September 30, 2017, there has been a significant decline of 16% compared to the previous year, with 4,21,000 student visas handed out against 5,02,000 lakh in the previous years.

For Indian students, the drop in the number of student visas is 27% with 47,302 student visas issued in the same period. However, the statistics as per September 30, 2016, revealed that the number of student visas issues was 65,257. Within a period of one year, the US government’s policy to issue student visas took a turn, and it had an adverse effect on Indian and Chinese aspirants.

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The data indicates the fact that Australia and Canada are emerging as alternative destinations after this turn of the tide in the United States (US). Rigid rules of H1-B visa policies (H1-B is work visa issued for Indians by the US government) and uncertainties pertaining to OPTs (Operational Practical Training Programmes) that enable international students to work in the US for a limited period of time, are the major reasons for the declining interest for taking up higher education in the US, specifically for Indian students.

The issuance of student visas by the US government, particularly for Indian students started to record significant decline from 2016. For instance, the US government issued more than 6.50 lakh student visas earlier, and the number of student visas issued in 2016 was dropped by 26%.

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At present, a case is pending in the US courts on Operational Training Programme (OTP). A final decision on OTP will be taken soon.