US student visas for Indians drop 62%; CIS report urges scrapping of OPT programme
- The number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals has fallen by 62% in 2025, according to a new report that also recommends scrapping the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.
- The report, authored by George Fishman, Senior Legal Fellow at the Centre for Immigration Studies (CIS), said the US issued 22,149 student visas to Indian nationals in 2025, down sharply from 58,694 issued a year earlier, PTI reported.
- Despite the decline in new visas, Indian students continued to form the largest group of international students in the US.
Unverified
- The number of US student visas issued to Indian nationals has fallen by 62% in 2025, according to a new report that also recommends scrapping the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme.
- The report, authored by George Fishman, Senior Legal Fellow at the Centre for Immigration Studies (CIS), said the US issued 22,149 student visas to Indian nationals in 2025, down sharply from 58,694 issued a year earlier, PTI reported.
- Despite the decline in new visas, Indian students continued to form the largest group of international students in the US.
Sources: Times of India