Amid the tightening of US immigration policies, authorities are reportedly revoking international student visas over minor criminal records, including traffic violations, reported TOI.
In recent days, dozens of Indian students studying across the US have received emails from their Designated School Officials (DSOs), informing them that their F-1 student visas have been revoked. The students were instructed to leave the country immediately.
Copies of such emails accessed by TOI cite previous offences such as improper lane changes, drunk driving, and even shoplifting as reasons for visa cancellation.
A New York Times (NYT) report noted that at least 147 international students have recently lost their right to remain in the US. Several students from Hyderabad told TOI that the charges against them were months old and that they had already complied with all legal procedures at the time. They expressed shock at the sudden revocation of their US student visas despite fulfilling all related formalities.
Fewer US F1 student visas granted
Out of 6.79 lakh applications for F1 visas applied for in the US, 2.79 lakh were denied, a rise from 36 percent in 2022-23. The total number of visas issued in 2023-24 stood at 4.01 lakh, down from 4.45 lakh the previous year. Despite an increase in applications post-COVID-19, the overall number of visa applications has declined over the past decade.
While country-specific rejection rates were not revealed, past reports show Indian students receiving fewer visas. From January to September 2024, only 63,973 visas were issued to Indian students, a big fall from 1.03 lakh during the same period in 2023. Indians are now, however, the largest group of foreign students in the US, pushing out Chinese students, based on the Open Doors 2024 report.
The US State Department did not cite a particular reason for the increased F1 visa denials but mentioned complying with the Immigration and Nationality Act, reported TIE. The officials also referenced a change in data methodology since 2019, which has made previous comparisons more complicated.
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