The range of Indian students going to the U.S. for higher studies in July dropped by half compared to the same month last year, according to immigration data cited by Forbes. This marks a sharp slowdown in what has long been a steady stream of students heading abroad for education.
Overall international arrivals have also taken a hit. Preliminary figures from the U.S. International Trade Administration show that 76,519 international students entered the country on visas in July 2025, down 28.5% from 106,993 in July 2024. The figures, sourced from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Arrival and Departure Information System, do not include arrivals from Canada and Mexico.
The drop in international student arrivals comes amid several policy moves under President Donald Trump that have made it harder for foreign students to study and work in the U.S. In June 2025, Trump issued a proclamation that blocks foreign nationals from enrolling in or joining exchange programs at Harvard University, citing national security. Although a temporary restraining order has paused the move for now, it reflects a larger push by his administration to curb international student admissions at certain institutions.
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Alongside this, the government has revoked more than 6,000 student visas over overstays and other violations, with a handful linked to alleged ties to terrorism. The broader crackdown has also meant stricter vetting, including deeper social media checks and tougher entry screenings.
On top of that, international students are staring at possible changes to the H-1B visa program, which many rely on after graduation to work in the U.S. The proposed rules would give preference to higher-salaried applicants, which could make it much harder for fresh graduates and early-career professionals to secure a foothold.
Another major concern is the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows students especially in STEM fields to work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation. The administration has suggested phasing out OPT, arguing that it takes jobs away from American workers. If this goes ahead, it could seriously affect thousands of Indian and other international students who depend on the program to gain practical experience in their fields.
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Now the numbers suggest that new international student enrollments at U.S. colleges may decline this fall. Since these students are only allowed to enter the country up to 30 days before their programs begin, including orientation, fewer arrivals now could translate into lower campus enrollment in the coming semester.
Some of the drop-in arrivals could be due to international students already in the U.S. choosing not to travel abroad for vacations or family visits, a pattern seen in previous years. Universities encouraged students to stay in the country to avoid the risk of being denied reentry under Trump administration policies.
Research data cited by Forbes says that international students play a crucial role at many U.S. universities and serve as an important talent pool for numerous American companies. “Without immigrants, international students and the children of immigrants, the undergraduate student population in America would be almost 5 million students smaller in 2037 than 2022, or about two-thirds of its current size, while the graduate student population would be at least 1.1 million students smaller, or only about 60% of its current size,” as per the National Foundation for American Policy study by Madeline Zavodny, an economics professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
Recently Trump welcomed around 600,000 Chinese students to American universities.
Speaking at the White House Monday, President Trump as quoted by Fox News, “I hear so many stories that we’re not going to allow their students” to the reporters. Trump added, “we’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China.”
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Facing backlash for this as Trump revealed on Tuesday that U.S. colleges would struggle without Chinese students, as per video shared by Reuters. “I think it’s very insulting that students can’t come here because they’ll go out and they’ll start building schools and they’ll be able to survive it.” Trump said. “If they did, our college system would go to hell very quickly. You’d have, and it wouldn’t be the top colleges, it’d be colleges that struggle on the bottom. And you take out 300,000 or 600,000 students out of the system. […] I told this to President Xi that we’re honored to have their students here.”
Trump also mentioned that he likes international students coming to the United States. “I like that their students come here. I like that other countries’ students come here.’’
These comments come as a sharp contrast to the available immigration data. This is because international students now face visa delays due to the intensified scrutiny under the Trump administration and are seeing other countries as their alternatives. Earlier it was reported that UK is likely to benefit from this scenario.