Student Visas to the US Drop 70-80 pc

Chennai: Students seeking admission in US universities are facing unprecedented levels of visa rejections due to geopolitical uncertainties and stricter immigration policies. With unfulfilled American dreams, they are opting for countries like the UK, Ireland and France.

“Almost 70 to 80 per cent of applicants are getting rejected. In the rejection letters, mostly the authorities mention that their credentials were not satisfactory as per the requirements. But we know that tighter visa policies are leading to high levels of rejections. The rejections had started from September 2024 onwards and have gone up significantly,” said Suresh Kumar, director, Truematics.

According to reports, 3.3 lakh students went from India to the US in 2023-24. A large number of students are from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu and mostly seek higher education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

After 2015, there was a gradual decline in student visa approvals till the pandemic hit the world. In the past couple of years, visa approvals rebounded to previous levels.

After being rejected by the US, students are applying to universities in the UK, Ireland, France and Germany. Admissions to US universities start early and those to the European universities for the April-May season begin a little later, which makes it possible for the students to change their destinations.

Canada, which used to be a major destination for Indian students in the past few years, has seen a drastic decline due to stricter immigration policies. Australia too is not a major destination as the financial requirements are relatively higher for students.

After April-May, several US universities start their courses in September. “The processing of the admissions for the September period starts in June. By June-July we will get a complete picture for the year,” said Kumar.

Though India usually sends around 10 lakh students abroad every year, there could be a substantial reduction this year.