New data illustrate the growing fallout from US visa scrutiny on Indian enrolments. At the University of Washington, international intake from India and China dropped 9 % this autumn after a month-long processing freeze and new social-media vetting rules introduced earlier this year.
A broader Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey covering 461 institutions shows undergraduate and graduate enrolments down 6 % and 19 % respectively across the United States, with 85 % of universities naming visa barriers as a top concern. Canadian campuses reported even sharper declines, while Asia and Europe gained market share.
![US visa curbs dent Indian student numbers as universities pivot recruitment strategies]()
For Indian families the calculus is changing: Europe’s two-year master’s programmes, lower tuition and post-study work options in Germany and the Netherlands look increasingly attractive. US universities, meanwhile, are stepping up India-based recruitment fairs, offering application-fee waivers and collaborating with VFS Global to host interview-prep workshops aimed at improving visa approval rates.
Education-sector analysts warn that a sustained downturn could hit US research output and ancillary spending—international students contributed USD 38 billion to the US economy in 2024. Indian EdTech firms are already pivoting, promoting “Plan B” destinations and hybrid online/on-campus pathways that minimise visa exposure.
Corporates that rely on US-educated Indian STEM talent should track these trends; smaller graduate cohorts could tighten the pipeline for Optional Practical Training (OPT) hires in 2027–28.
A broader Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey covering 461 institutions shows undergraduate and graduate enrolments down 6 % and 19 % respectively across the United States, with 85 % of universities naming visa barriers as a top concern. Canadian campuses reported even sharper declines, while Asia and Europe gained market share.
For Indian families the calculus is changing: Europe’s two-year master’s programmes, lower tuition and post-study work options in Germany and the Netherlands look increasingly attractive. US universities, meanwhile, are stepping up India-based recruitment fairs, offering application-fee waivers and collaborating with VFS Global to host interview-prep workshops aimed at improving visa approval rates.
Education-sector analysts warn that a sustained downturn could hit US research output and ancillary spending—international students contributed USD 38 billion to the US economy in 2024. Indian EdTech firms are already pivoting, promoting “Plan B” destinations and hybrid online/on-campus pathways that minimise visa exposure.
Corporates that rely on US-educated Indian STEM talent should track these trends; smaller graduate cohorts could tighten the pipeline for Optional Practical Training (OPT) hires in 2027–28.
