BUZZ
Student visas issued to these two countries ‘fell dramatically,‘ expert says
Fewer Indian and Chinese students are enrolling in American universities under the Trump administration, according to a new report.
The Center for Immigration Studies recently compiled data comparing the 2025-26 school year to past years and found visas “fell dramatically from prior years’ levels.”
“The number of visas issued to nationals of India (22,149) declined by 60 percent from the average number issued during 2017-19/2021-24 (55,717), and by 62 percent from 2024 (58,694),” George Fishman wrote on August 3.
He previously worked for the Department of Homeland Security and as an attorney for a House committee.
Fewer Chinese students also were granted visas, Fishman found.
“The number issued to nationals of the [People’s Republic of China] (40,034) declined by 46 percent from the 2017-19/2021-24 average (73,853), and by 34 percent from 2024 (61,075),” the immigration expert found.
Fishman also notes that 30 percent of “students” are actually working under the Optional Practical Training program. This system was created in 2007 following lobbying from Microsoft. It allows students to work for several years in the United States ostensibly because the experience is part of their education.
Indian and Chinese students particularly benefit from this program.
Fishman wrote:
Of the more than one million foreign students in the U.S. during the 2024/25 academic year, fully one-quarter (294,253) had already completed their degrees and were working in the U.S. pursuant to “Optional Practical Training” (OPT) according to IIE’s census. And of these, an astounding 70 percent came from India (49 percent, 143,740) or the PRC (21 percent, 61,981).
OPT allows aliens on student visas to work for employers in the U.S., generally after graduating or completing the coursework for their degrees. These non-student “students” can generally receive up to 12 months of work authorization, with those in STEM.
The findings on the decline of student visas track with other research showing foreign enrollment is down since Trump took office.
The New York Times reported last year there would be about 20 percent fewer foreign students for the 2025-26 school year. A separate study found similar results, as The Fix reported.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a $100,000 visa fee for foreign students who take advantage of the Optional Practical Training program.
