India, China most impacted! US visa approvals fell sharply in 2025 by over 33% in work, student visa categories

Legal immigration to the United States has slowed significantly in 2025, with visa approvals dropping across categories and countries such as India and China seeing some of the steepest declines.

According to a latest report by The Washington Post, the US State Department issued about 250,000 fewer visas between January and August 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Overall approvals for both permanent residency and temporary visas fell by 11 per cent.

The decline spans multiple visa categories, including those for students, workers, family members of US citizens, and tourists. Among these, student visas saw a particularly sharp fall, dropping by more than 30 per cent, while exchange visitor visas declined by nearly 30,000.

India, China constitue of 1/3rd of the total fall

India and China were among the hardest hit. Visa approvals for nationals from the two countries fell by about 84,000, largely due to reduced issuance of student, worker and family-related visas.

Approvals for green cards also declined, with notable drops in visas for workers and certain relatives, as well as applicants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

Officials and analysts attributed the trend to a mix of policy changes and administrative constraints. These include a travel ban covering 19 countries, a temporary pause on student visa interviews, and stricter vetting processes, including checks of applicants’ social media activity.

Operational issues a major cause

Operational challenges have also played a role. Staffing cuts at the State Department have reduced processing capacity, leading to fewer consular appointments and longer wait times in high-demand locations.

"A visa is a privilege, not a right. Unlike the Biden administration, President Trump is not willing to compromise the safety of American citizens to allow mass migration of unvetted foreign nationals into our country," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said, according to the report.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, "President Trump was elected with a resounding mandate to put American citizens first, and every policy decision he's made has reflected that priority."

Experts said it remains unclear how much of the decline is due to policy versus reduced demand.

"We don't have a separation of how much of this decline is caused by demand and how much is caused by policy, and they're obviously both putting downward pressure on the number of visas that are issued," said Cecilia Esterline of the Niskanen Center.

(With inputs from agencies)