As U.S. pauses new visa interviews, why international students matter
This decision comes days after the administration tried to block the University of Harvard from enrolling international students. Only a month ago, the government targeted several U.S. universities, accusing them of fostering anti-Semitism. Earlier this year, the government also revoked thousands of international student visas with barely any notice. The administration claims that the move is part of wide-ranging efforts to limit immigration. Data indicate that it could have a significant impact on U.S. universities and the U.S. economy.
The Open Doors International students' data shows that the U.S. hosted an all-time high of more than 1.1 million international students in 2023-2024, a 6.6% increase from the previous year. Students from India and China together formed more than 50% of all international students U.S. last year (Chart 1).
Chart 1 | The number of international students to the U.S. in the 2016-17 to 2023-24 period
A Data Point article published last month found that the number of student visas issued to Indians by the U.S. dropped by 30% in February 2025, the first month of the second Trump administration, compared to the same month the previous year. This decline was much higher than the overall decrease in student visas granted by the U.S. to all countries combined.
On May 28, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with 'connections' to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
Data shows that international students from India and China are engaged in key science and research fields and contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. They also formed the highest share among international students who applied for Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students. This allows eligible F-1 international students with STEM degrees to gain additional work experience in the U.S. and work for an employer (Chart 2).
Chart 2 | Country-wise number of student exchange programme records with authorisations to participate in STEM OPT
They also remained the top countries of origin of temporary visa holders earning U.S. research doctorates in science and engineering. In 2023, close to 6,000 temporary visa holders from China and 2,583 from India earned U.S. research doctorates (Chart 3).
Chart 3 | Top countries of origin of temporary visa holders earning U.S. research doctorates in science and engineering
They also formed a high share of foreign-born graduates working in science and engineering (S&E) fields and S&E-related fields in the U.S. in 2023. Indians formed the highest share, compared to other foreign-born graduates, across S&E and S&E-related occupations (Chart 4).
Chart 4 | Employed foreign-born college graduates by broad field of occupation in 2023
In general, international students form a key share among enrolments of master's and doctoral students in the fields of science, engineering and health (Chart 5).
Chart 5 | Enrollment of master's and doctoral students in science, engineering, and health fields by citizenship
NAFSA's economic value analysis shows that international students brought in $43.8 billion to the U.S economy in 2023 through tuition fees, and spending on housing and living (Chart 6). Their estimates also show that international students helped create and support lakhs of jobs in the U.S.
Chart 6 | Economic benefits of international student enrolment to the U.S. (Values in $ billion)
A research paper titled 'Immigrant Entrepreneurs and U.S. Billion-dollar companies' noted that 143 billion-dollar start-up companies in the U.S. have a founder who came to the U.S. first as an international student. Also, 174 international students became founders or co-founders of U.S billion-dollar companies.
The data for the charts were sourced from Open Doors, NAFSA, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCES), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The NAFSA's International Student Economic Value Tool defines economic value as the amount of money that international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities collectively bring into the U.S to pay for their education and to support themselves while they (and in some cases, their families) are there in the U.S.
sambavi.p@thehindu.co.in
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