Sharp Decrease in Visas to Indian Students Alarms U.S. Colleges

India has been the engine of post-pandemic growth in international enrollments at American colleges, but the number of visas issued to Indian students plunged by a third this fall, according to a Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of State data. About 59,000 student, or F-1, visas were awarded by American consulates in India during the critical months of May to August, compared with nearly 89,000 during the same period in 2023. Worldwide, student-visa issuances for this academic year fell by 12.5 percent, with the bulk of the decline driven by India.