Indian Students Record 61% Visa Rejection By US: Here Are Top Reasons Behind Refusals

Last Updated:April 18, 2026, 20:04 IST

US student visa rejections for Indians hit 61% in 2025, up from 53%, with denials concentrated in South Asia and Africa amid stricter, structurally tighter vetting.

The rejection rates for US student visas of Indian applicants have increased to 61%, the highest level in several years, due to rise in policy restrictions and stricter vetting process.

Indians represent 30% of foreign enrolments in the US. However, the rejection rate for Indian students rose from 53% in 2024 to 61% in 2025, according to Shorelight’s report titled ‘Beyond the Interview: A Decade of Student Visa Denials and What Comes Next’.

Countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have also reported significant increases. Visa denials for Nepali students rose from 59% in 2024 to 81% in 2025. Meanwhile, the rejection rate for European applicants is 9%.

On the findings, the report stated: “While visa refusal rates dipped during the first year of the Biden administration, they climbed again in the years that followed, particularly for several African countries. Although denial rates rose more sharply under the first Trump administration and again in the first year of the second Trump administration, one trend is unmistakable: significant disparities in visa refusal rates persist across regions and countries, regardless of who is in office."

It further said that the visa denials have not only increased, but they have also become “structurally concentrated in specific regions, especially across Africa and South Asia".

The Shorelight report stated: “With student visa refusals in India climbing up to 60%, we’re not just denying students, we’re cutting off a critical talent pipeline for US universities, employers, and the economy."

“Without expanding opportunities in other high-growth regions, we’re creating a self-inflicted talent shortage. In a global race for skilled workers, the US cannot afford to turn away the very students who fuel our research, workforce, and competitiveness," it concluded.

After the release of the report, the US State Department said: “All visa applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with US law, and adjudicated based on the facts and circumstances of the individual case."

Reason behind rejections of Indian student visas

• The US implements rigorous screening processes, including a compulsory examination of applicants’ online activities and social media accounts
• All categories of F, M, and J visas are included in this broadened vetting process
• The US views visas as a privilege, indicating a structural rather than a temporary tightening of regulations
• Policy-driven scrutiny impacts various regions, with South Asia and Africa being the most significantly affected

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