US records highest F-1 visa rejection rate in last decade reaching 41%: Report

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, student visa denials by the United States reached a decade-high, with 41% of all F-1 visa applications rejected, nearly double the rejection rate seen in 2014, according to State Department data.

The F-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa for students attending academic institutions in the US, saw a total of 6.79 lakh applications, with 2.79 lakh (41%) of them denied.

This marks a significant increase from the previous fiscal year (2022-2023), where 2.53 lakh applications (36%) out of 6.99 lakh were rejected.

The rejection rate has been on the rise despite a decline in the absolute number of applications over the past decade.

The total number of F-1 applications peaked at 8.56 lakh in 2014-15, but the number steadily dropped in the subsequent years, reaching a low of 1.62 lakh during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-2020.

After the pandemic, applications began to rise again, but there was a slight dip in 2023-2024, with a 3% decrease in total applications from the previous year.

The number of visa denials for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, however, reflects the highest percentage of rejections in at least a decade. The US issued 4.01 lakh F-1 visas in 2023-24, down from 4.45 lakh in 2022-23.

The F-1 visa program represents the majority of US student visas, with F-1 visas accounting for over 90% of the total yearly student visa issuances.

Although the US State Department did not provide country-specific data on visa refusals, it was noted that there had been a significant drop in the number of student visas issued to Indian applicants in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

By September 2024, only 64,008 student visas were issued to Indian applicants, a sharp decline from 1.03 lakh in 2023.

In response to inquiries about the rising rejection rate, a US Department of State spokesperson said that all visa adjudications are handled on a case-by-case basis and are governed by the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

They also pointed to changes in the methodology for calculating visa data starting from the 2019 fiscal year.

Previously, data was based on a count of workload actions, while the new methodology tracks final outcomes of visa applications, including updates to visa statuses as the fiscal year progresses.

Although the US State Department did not release detailed country-specific data on visa denials, it was noted that Indian students form a significant part of the international student population in the US.

According to the Open Doors 2024 report, the number of Indian students in the US reached 3.31 lakh in the 2023-2024 academic year, surpassing that of Chinese students for the first time and making Indians the largest group of international students in the US.

Despite this, the decline in student visa issuances, particularly to Indian students, signals a shift in the US’s approach to international students.

This increase in visa denials comes amid tightening immigration policies in other countries as well.

Canada, for instance, announced a cap on the number of study permits in 2024, citing pressures on housing, healthcare, and other services.

In addition, the UK imposed restrictions on foreign students bringing dependents to limit the number of international students, leading to a 40% drop in enrolment across British universities.

The rising student visa rejection rates in the US, coupled with changing policies in other major study destinations like Canada and the UK, highlight the shifting global landscape for international education.

While the US remains a top choice for many international students, these developments signal potential challenges for students aspiring to study abroad.