The United States has witnessed a steep decline in student visa arrivals, with numbers in August falling to their lowest in four years. The downturn has been driven largely by a dramatic drop in Indian students, underscoring the mounting challenges faced by the country’s higher education sector.
According to data from the International Trade Administration, student arrivals to the US fell 19% year-on-year in August, slipping to just over 3,13,000. This marks the fifth consecutive month of decline and the weakest figure since 2021 during the pandemic. Overall, student arrivals for the year through August are down nearly 12%.
The fall has been most severe among students from Asia, particularly India. Indian student visa arrivals tumbled 45% compared with the previous year, while arrivals from China slid 12%. In fact, thirteen of Asia’s largest source markets—from Japan to Vietnam—registered declines in August as well as in year-to-date figures.
In total, only 1,91,000 students from Asia travelled to the US in August, reflecting a 24% year-on-year drop.
Experts have warned of far-reaching consequences if the trend continues. “If the trends continue, the impact will be significant not only for campuses and their students—both international and American—but for the economy overall,” said Zuzana Cepla Wootson, deputy director of federal policy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, speaking to Bloomberg.
She added that fewer international students would ultimately undermine America’s standing in science and technology, making the country less competitive globally.
The latest visa slump comes as President Donald Trump intensifies his immigration agenda. On Friday, he signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications—a work route long preferred by Indian graduates seeking to remain in the US.
The education sector is bracing for further setbacks. Forecasts for September suggest international enrolments could fall by as much as 40% in the autumn intake, which would wipe out an estimated $7 billion in revenue for universities, according to NAFSA.
International students contributed close to $44 billion to the US economy in 2023-24 and supported around 4,00,000 jobs. Studies show that for every three international students enrolled, one American job is created—highlighting the scale of the potential economic blow.