The United States continues to be the preferred destination for international students pursuing higher education, though student visa denial rates have been rising. Data from the past fiscal year, covering October 2023 to September 2024, indicates that 41% of F-1 visa applications were denied, marking the highest rejection rate in a decade. This represents a significant increase compared to the 2014 fiscal year, when the rejection rate was nearly half of what it is now.
A total of 679,000 applications were submitted for F-1 student visas in 2023-24, with 279,000 being denied. This reflects an increase from the previous year, when 253,000 applications were rejected out of 699,000 total submissions. While the U.S. State Department has not provided country-specific visa refusal rates, reports indicate a 38% decline in student visas issued to Indian applicants in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
For the first time since 2009, Indian students outnumbered Chinese students in U.S. institutions. According to the Open Doors Report, India sent 331,602 students to study in the U.S. during the 2023-24 academic year, a 23% increase from the previous year. The highest growth was seen in graduate-level enrollments, which increased by 19% to 196,567 students. Enrollment in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program also saw a significant rise, reaching 97,556 students—a 41% increase.
Despite fluctuations in application numbers, international student enrollments at U.S. colleges and universities remained strong, with 298,705 new students arriving in 2023-24. The overall number of applications peaked at 856,000 in 2014-15, followed by a steady decline before reaching a low of 162,000 in 2019-20 due to the pandemic. Post-pandemic, application numbers rose but saw a 3% dip in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. As a result, the absolute number of visa denials reached the highest percentage in a decade, with 401,000 F-1 visas issued in 2023-24, down from 445,000 the previous year.
International students make up approximately 6% of the total U.S. higher education population and contributed over $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023. However, concerns about visa overstays remain. Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary revealed that more than 7,000 Indian students and exchange visitors overstayed their visas in 2023. The F and M visa categories have the highest overstay rates among temporary visa classifications, prompting discussions on possible immigration policy changes.
While the U.S. has seen an increase in visa denials, other countries have also introduced measures to manage international student numbers. Canada announced a cap on study permits in 2024, leading to a 35% reduction compared to the previous year, citing concerns over housing and public services. Plans for an additional 10% decrease in 2025 have also been outlined.
