With the autumn semester set to kick off in a matter of weeks, American universities are likely to see a sharp drop in the number of Indian students arriving this year. The most recent crisis during Donald Trump’s presidency is fueled by the abrupt spike in the rates of visa rejections as well as a freeze in visa appointment quotas. Education consultants in the city of Hyderabad in Telangana have noted that the outbound traffic has declined by as much as 70 per cent.
Visa Slots Scarce and Students Left Waiting
Sanjeev Rai from Hyderabad Overseas Consultant told The Times of India that most of the students are usually done with their visa interviews by this time and start preparations for their journey. However, things are totally opposite this time around.
“This year, we are still refreshing the portal every day hoping for a slot to open. It is the worst in years,” Rai told the news outlet.
Earlier, the US authorities had promised that they would be opening visa slots in phases, but the uncertainty has kept students on their toes.
Ankit Jain from Window Overseas Education Consultancy reported that the students, who managed to reserve the limited slots opened during the middle of the week, are still waiting for a confirmation.
Dreams at Risk as Delays Mount
Arvind Manduva of I20 Fever consultancy said the aspirations of thousands of students will be crushed if these US visa opportunities are not made available within the next few days.
“We are seeing about an 80% drop. We are getting panic calls every day from students and their parents,” Manduva told TOI.
Another significant problem is that individuals, who had applied as early as March and were successful in getting interview appointments, have now come forward with the revelation of the huge rejection rate.
Ankit Jain reported that students who “otherwise would have had easy approvals are being rejected.”
Section 214B Cited as Key Reason for Rejections
He asserted that the social media profiles of such students are “clean,” stating that the sole reason that they might be getting is 214B.
Section 214B of the US Immigration and Nationality Act is being cited as the most frequent cause of US visa rejections. This is awarded if the seeker fails to show an adequate connection to the native land in order to establish that they will be going back home after their visit.
In 2024, India overtook China to send over 3.3 lakh students to the US.
US Consulate Opens New Visa Slots
In the meantime, the US Consulate General in Hyderabad announced slots for US visas have opened again, urging students to look at the embassy or consulate website for an appointment.
FAQs
1. What is 221(g) slip?
This is issued when the US consular officer seeks additional information to grant approval for a visa.
2. Why the US wants to access social media accounts?
The US Department of State earlier stated that all F, M, and J category applicants for a non-immigrant US visa will be required to keep their social media profiles ‘public’ with immediate effect.
3. How many Indian students are studying in the US?
As per the official data, India overtook China to send more than 3.3 lakh students to the US last year.
