H1B Visa Crash: Are Indian Students The Reason?

Over the years, the Indian community has been largely contributing to the United States working and student talents. Considering the fact that there has been over exploitation of this United States resources, certain consequences are being felt now.

Applications from Indian students to universities in the United States have seen a sharp fall in the twenty twenty five admission cycle. According to recent data from the Common App, the number of Indian applicants has dropped by around fourteen percent, marking the biggest decline among major countries.

This is surprising because Indian student enrollment in the United States had recently touched impressive levels, crossing three lakh thirty one thousand students.

The report explains that the major reason for this sudden drop is the tougher visa environment created in the last year. Many students faced unexpected cancellations of their SEVIS records, sometimes due to small or already resolved matters. This caused anxiety among students and parents, who now feel uncertain about the process. Visa refusal rates also increased, with F one rejections rising to more than forty percent by March.

In May 2025, the United States stopped F one visa interviews for a short period, claiming security related concerns.

When interviews returned in June, applicants were asked to provide their social media information, which slowed the entire verification and processing system. Because of these repeated issues, many Indian families are now looking at countries other than the United States for higher studies.