Indian student arrivals to the US have plummeted by 70% due to visa issues. Students face a lack of transparency in visa slot releases and unusually high rejection rates, despite assurances from US authorities.
The United States is recording a sharp drop in the arrival of Indian students amid the visa crisis by the Trump administration. The number of students leaving Hyderabad has decreased by 70%, according to education specialists.
The majority of students who intend to study overseas have already finished their visa interviews and are preparing to depart, according to a Times of India story that cited Hyderabad Overseas Consultant Sanjeev Rai. But it's different this year.
While the US authorities had earlier assured that visa slots would be released in phases, the process has lacked transparency. Moreover, students who manage to book slots have not been able to receive confirmation, Ankit Jain from Window Overseas Education Consultancy said, adding that the only logical reason for slots being open without confirming bookings could be the US testing the system.
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One emerging issue is the unusually high rejection rate among students who applied as early as March and had already secured visa interview appointments.
One of the most frequent grounds for denying visas is Section 214(b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act. It is granted when the applicant cannot show that they have strong enough links to their homeland to guarantee that they would return after the visit.
According to the US Consulate General in Hyderabad, appointments are now available again, and students are encouraged to visit the embassy's website or embassy website.
"We're striving to thoroughly screen visa applicants to make sure they have no intention of harming America or our interests and that they can demonstrate their eligibility for the desired visa, including their intention to carry out activities that align with the conditions of admission. For these visa categories, we advise applicants to apply as soon as possible and to allow extra time for processing," a representative from the US Consulate General in Hyderabad stated.
Last year, India had overtaken China to send over 3.3 lakh students to the United States.
