Indian Students Face Delays in Obtaining U.S. Visas, Raising Concern in Parliament
Unprecedented difficulties in obtaining visa appointments for Indian students hoping to study in the US have sparked intense concern and discussion in Parliament. The crisis, which was brought to light during the July 24, 2025, Monsoon Session, is the result of a change in U.S. policy that was announced by the U.S. Department of State on June 18, 2025, introducing more stringent screening and vetting procedures for applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas. This includes requiring applicants to set their social media profiles to “public” as part of a mandatory screening process, which delays and freezes new appointment times. The problem poses a threat to India’s dominance as the country’s top source of international students, with over 337,000 Indian students expected to be enrolled in American universities in 2024.
Since March 2025, when visa slots started suddenly disappearing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has received a lot of complaints from families and students. The MEA has continuously brought up the matter with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the State Department in Washington, D.C., Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the Rajya Sabha. Indian student arrivals have reportedly decreased by 70–80% as a result of the stricter measures meant to improve national security; consultants have called this year “the worst year ever” for visa processing. With orientation deadlines approaching in August 2025, students like Mumbai native Samita Garg, who was accepted into a prestigious biochemistry university in the United States, are uncertain.
The crisis has been made worse by the U.S. Embassy’s halt on new appointments and system changes intended to stop bot-driven slot reservations. Even when spots become available, confirmations are frequently delayed, according to education consultants, leaving students like Mumbai-based engineering student Kaustubh in a precarious situation. Although the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad has encouraged early applications, frustration is heightened by the lack of transparency. The visa bottleneck is a concern for both countries because Indian students contribute more than $8 billion to the U.S. economy each year.
In an effort to support students, lawmakers have pushed for diplomatic solutions, with the MEA promoting simplified mobility frameworks. Given India’s crackdown on trafficking networks, the problem also connects to larger worries about illegal immigration. Despite their own stricter visa regulations, many students are reevaluating their plans in the United States and looking into other countries like the UK or Canada as they compete for spots. Will this crisis be resolved diplomatically, or will the best minds in India be denied access to American education?
