US student visas issued to Indian nationals fell 62% during the peak admission season in 2025, according to an analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies, as the Trump administration tightened F-1 visa screening and introduced stricter immigration measures for international students. The report says the decline could reduce the number of graduates entering the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme and discusses its impact on jobs, national security and US universities.

America’s international student total was still rising in 2024-25, but the growth was increasingly coming from people who had already left the classroom.

Chinese and Indian students make up more than half of all foreign students enrolled in U.S.-based higher education institutions.