The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was asked whether Indian student enrolments in the US have dropped, and to what extent "scarce visa slots" and "high percentage of rejections of visas" are contributing to it. According to the data, the total number of Indian students pursuing various educational programs (primary, secondary, other vocational, high school, language training, flight school, associate, bachelor's, master’s, doctorate, and others) in the United States of America stands at February, 2025: 378,787 students and February 2026: 352,644 students, he said. The figure indicates a decline of around 6.9 per cent in overall student enrolments in US academic institutions, he added. On June 18, 2025, the US Department of State issued a press release titled, 'Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants'. In June 2025, the US Embassy in New Delhi also informed that the grant of a student visa does not guarantee the continued stay of the student in the United States, he added.

Source: The Telegraph April 02, 2026 17:01 UTC