Mrinalini Batra is a senior higher education counsellor who has, in 30 years, not only never encountered anything like this but also helped place many Indian students in the best US universities. Her words echo the uncertainty that is rising among Indian aspirants as America increases its policies regarding international education.
In recent months, the US government, under President Donald Trump, has brought several restrictive policies on board – the shortening of student visa duration, higher prices on H1B visas and a 15 per cent ratio on foreign educational admissions in higher education institutions. These measures seem to be a part of a wider range of trying to restrain the flow of foreign students.
Indeed, the US International Trade Administration statistics show that the Indian coming to America on student visas declined by 44.5% in August 2025 than it was to the year before. In July, there was a comparable decrease of approximately 46 per cent, which means that there is a consistent decrease.
Students, parents and counsellors attest to the fact that the US has lost popularity as a higher education destination. It is this mix of visa issues, tougher policies in universities, and the deteriorating job market that has drawn the attention of the Indian student population to other destinations, like the UK, Germany, Australia, and Singapore.
The most outstanding issue among Indian students is the new application fee of $100,000 to be charged on the H1B visas, which used to be the key to securing employment and residency in the US. Even the best graduates are struggling to get jobs, with companies becoming more reluctant to fund visas.
According to one student of one of the US universities, some companies have offered jobs to international students and withdrawn the positions later, choosing local employees to avoid visa issues.
This uncertainty has seriously hit the Indian students who borrowed heavily in order to study in America, and many are now wondering whether America is still worth the money anymore.
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