Indian travel to US drops for first time in 23 years, student visas take a hit
This marks the first non-COVID year since 2001 to record a drop in Indian travel to the US. The NTTO also reported an overall 6.2% decline in international arrivals in June, with similar drops in May (7%), March (8%), and February (1.9%). Only January and April showed modest gains.
- Aug 31, 2025,
- Updated Aug 31, 2025 10:28 PM IST
For the first time since 2001—excluding the pandemic years—fewer Indians are flying to the United States, signaling a significant slowdown in one of America’s fastest-growing travel markets.
According to the US Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), just 2.1 lakh Indians visited the US in June 2025, down 8% from 2.3 lakh in June 2024. Provisional data suggests July is following the same trend, with a 5.5% decline year-over-year.
This marks the first non-COVID year since 2001 to record a drop in Indian travel to the US. The NTTO also reported an overall 6.2% decline in international arrivals in June, with similar drops in May (7%), March (8%), and February (1.9%). Only January and April showed modest gains.
India remains the fourth-largest source of international visitors to the US, after Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Among non-border countries, India ranks second—just behind the UK and ahead of Brazil. These five countries together accounted for nearly 60% of all international arrivals to the US in June.
Indian travellers to the US are typically students, professionals, and family visitors—not leisure tourists. That hasn’t changed, but officials say the slowdown is most visible among students this year. If visa constraints continue, visits for business and family reasons may also begin to dip.
Despite a robust diaspora of over 50 lakh people in the US, which usually ensures steady traffic, this year’s numbers break a 23-year streak of growth in June arrivals from India.
Interestingly, while US-bound travel declined, April 2025 was a strong month overall for Indian outbound tourism, with 29 lakh people travelling abroad. The top destinations were the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore—and then the US.
For the first time since 2001—excluding the pandemic years—fewer Indians are flying to the United States, signaling a significant slowdown in one of America’s fastest-growing travel markets.
According to the US Commerce Department’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), just 2.1 lakh Indians visited the US in June 2025, down 8% from 2.3 lakh in June 2024. Provisional data suggests July is following the same trend, with a 5.5% decline year-over-year.
This marks the first non-COVID year since 2001 to record a drop in Indian travel to the US. The NTTO also reported an overall 6.2% decline in international arrivals in June, with similar drops in May (7%), March (8%), and February (1.9%). Only January and April showed modest gains.
India remains the fourth-largest source of international visitors to the US, after Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Among non-border countries, India ranks second—just behind the UK and ahead of Brazil. These five countries together accounted for nearly 60% of all international arrivals to the US in June.
Indian travellers to the US are typically students, professionals, and family visitors—not leisure tourists. That hasn’t changed, but officials say the slowdown is most visible among students this year. If visa constraints continue, visits for business and family reasons may also begin to dip.
Despite a robust diaspora of over 50 lakh people in the US, which usually ensures steady traffic, this year’s numbers break a 23-year streak of growth in June arrivals from India.
Interestingly, while US-bound travel declined, April 2025 was a strong month overall for Indian outbound tourism, with 29 lakh people travelling abroad. The top destinations were the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore—and then the US.