WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — A sharp drop in U.S. student visas issued to applicants from India and China during 2025 has fueled fresh debate over jobs, higher education and national security.
New data show that F-1 student visas issued to citizens of India and the People’s Republic of China fell well below recent levels during the key May through August application period. The decline comes as students from the two countries continue to make up more than half of all international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities.
According to data cited from the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department, India had 363,019 students studying in the United States during the 2024-25 academic year. China followed with 265,919 students. Together, they represented 53% of the total international student population of 1.17 million.
However, visa issuance changed sharply in 2025. India received 22,149 F-1 visas between May and August, down 62% from the same period in 2024. The figure also fell 60% below the average recorded during comparable years before and after the pandemic. Meanwhile, China received 40,034 visas during the same period, marking a 34% drop from 2024 and a 46% decline from the longer-term average.
The May through August period carries added importance because most international students receive visas before the start of the academic year. In 2024, roughly three-fourths of all F-1 visas for Indian and Chinese students were issued during those months.
The decline has renewed discussion about the Optional Practical Training program, commonly known as OPT. The program allows many international students to work in the United States after completing their studies. Graduates can generally work for up to one year. Students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields may qualify for an additional two-year extension.
Supporters say OPT helps employers hire skilled graduates and allows students to gain valuable work experience. They also argue that the program strengthens innovation and helps U.S. companies compete globally.
However, critics believe the program creates an uneven job market. They argue that employers can save money by hiring OPT workers because many do not require the same payroll tax contributions as American graduates. Critics also note that OPT does not include some labor protections that apply to workers under the H-1B visa program.
Data cited in the report show that more than 294,000 former international students participated in OPT during the 2024-25 academic year. Nearly 70% came from India or China. In addition, more than 165,000 students participated in the STEM OPT extension during 2024. Indian and Chinese citizens accounted for more than two-thirds of those participants.
The report also notes that the Department of Homeland Security created the STEM OPT extension in 2008 after employers sought additional ways to retain highly skilled foreign graduates when H-1B visas became unavailable because of annual limits.
Beyond employment, national security remains a major part of the discussion. Some policymakers and national security experts have raised concerns about technology transfers and research security involving students from China, especially in advanced science and engineering fields.
Several U.S. officials have warned over the years that the Chinese government seeks access to advanced research and sensitive technologies through various methods, including academic partnerships. At the same time, many education leaders stress that the overwhelming majority of international students come to the United States to study, conduct research, and build careers while following U.S. laws.
The latest visa figures have therefore intensified an ongoing policy debate. Some experts believe lower student numbers could reduce pressure on the U.S. job market and address certain security concerns. Others warn that fewer international students could reduce research output, campus diversity and university revenue while limiting America’s ability to attract global talent.
As universities prepare for another academic year, policymakers will likely continue weighing the economic, educational and security effects of international student enrollment. The long-term impact of the recent visa decline will become clearer as future enrollment data emerge.
