The number of student visas issued to Chinese and Indian applicants has dropped dramatically since the Trump administration began its crackdown on foreign college and university applicants last year, according to a new study.
Forty-six percent fewer F-1 student visas were issued to Chinese applicants by the State Department in May through August in 2025 compared to the same period in 2017, according to the Washington-based think tank, the Center for Immigration Studies. Among Indian students, visas were down 60%.
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Chinese and Indian students make up more than half — 53% — of all foreign students enrolled in U.S.-based higher education institutions. The decline is a significant portion of the overall number of foreign students entering the country for educational purposes, CIS senior legal fellow George Fishman wrote in an analysis released Tuesday.
“The administration is right to tighten oversight of foreign students, but oversight alone is not enough,” Fishman said. “The United States admits far more foreign students than serves our national interest, and hundreds of thousands transition into a de facto guest worker program that disadvantages American graduates. Reducing student admissions would better protect American workers, strengthen national security, and restore the student visa program to its original educational purpose.”
The change follows the State Department’s revocation in March 2025 of hundreds of visas given to students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations during the Biden administration.
The White House has also targeted specific universities that President Donald Trump has claimed admit more foreign students than U.S. students, ultimately affecting the U.S. job market and economy.
Last July, the Trump administration finalized a rule to do away with “duration of status,” meaning that student visa holders would no longer be able to remain in the country for as long as it takes to finish school. Instead, they would only have four years. The rule takes effect Sept. 15, 2026.
The White House has also tried to impose a $100,000 fee on foreign graduates who want to remain in the U.S. and work following graduation.
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A foreign student seeking admission to the U.S. to attend college or university must first be accepted by the school to apply for a visa. A consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or consular abroad will then interview the student and make the final decision. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who inspect all incoming travelers at airports are responsible for admitting or denying applicants into the country.
The study was compared to levels prior to the pandemic due to the lingering impact it had on applications in more recent years.
