Visa approvals for students heading to the US for computer science, digital technologies and related fields will continue as these skills will be in high demand in the US, according to Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and leader for education and skill development practice at consulting firm KPMG. .
But not all subjects will be liked, Ramaswamy pointed out mint“Even in this (tech) domain, while visas may be limited for lower order skills like coding, maintenance, etc., students who are experts in the implementation of technologies like AI, cloud, cyber security, etc. and focus on strategic realism Let’s concentrate. Businesses will be in demand because of these technologies. ,
visa success rate decline
In 2024, more than 260,000 Indian students went to the US in the 2022-2023 academic session, a jump of 35% over the previous session. They generally go for higher studies to US institutions on F1 and M1 visas for full-time and professional courses. But while Trump has yet to reveal the new visa rules, his key election rhetoric was to clamp down on illegal immigration and allowing only select professionals to work in the US.
“They (the Trump administration) have also made it clear in most statements that people who add value to their economy are the most welcome,” said Rachit Agarwal, co-founder of Admit Card, a study for . “Checking for students traveling to the US;
The student visa success rate for the US, which historically hovered around 99%, has fallen to about 70% in the past six months, marking an unusual decline, Agarwal said.
Those wishing to pursue a business management degree may run into a bump. “Demand for typical management programs has seen a gradual plateau and this trend will continue,” KPMG’s Ramaswamy said. ,
Link for H-1B student visa
Trump has repeatedly stressed his preference for “quality workers”, which could have an impact on the H-1B visa that allows employers to recruit foreign nationals to the US on a temporary arrangement. Companies also use L1 visas to acquire employees.
On a question about H-1B permits, typically cornered by tech companies, Trump said on Tuesday (January 21), “I like capable people coming into the country—not just engineers but quality workers at all levels.” . I know the H-1B program very well. I use the program … Maître d’s, wine experts, even waiters, high quality waiters. You found the best people. ,
The US typically awards 85,000 H-1B visas each year. Of this, 60,000–65,000 are offered for lottery and the rest for highly qualified employees.
Many F1 student visas eventually convert to H-1B or post-study work permits, Admit Card’s Aggarwal said. “Any changes to post-study work permits or stricter H1B policies will undoubtedly affect student sentiment toward the United States.”
The US has been a popular destination for students, along with Canada and Australia. But it is also an expensive option, where an undergraduate course can cost $45,000 while a two-year postgraduate program, including accommodation, can go up to $100,000.
,[But] Parents have cast a wide net on options other than the US for their children,” said Namita Mehta, president of Red Pen—an education consultant firm. mint,
“Parents now want to send their children to European and some Southeast Asian universities,” Mehta said. mint“Over the past five years, the number of students choosing the US, once the most sought-after destination, has declined by half.”
Mehta expects more scrutiny on postgraduate students under the new trump Administration. “Parents are also concerned about the increase in political activism in colleges,” said Mehta, whose firms send 150 students for undergraduate courses, 70-80 for postgraduate courses and 100 for MBA courses every year.
Canada, Australia also clamp down
To make matters worse, Canada and Australia have also seen their numbers of international students increase over the past few years.
“The change in Canada’s policy towards Indian students has significantly impacted that market,” Agarwal said.
Some consultants, however, do not expect a dent in US visas for students, except, perhaps, a short-term blip. “There will be some perceived impact in the absolute short term,” said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of New Delhi-based study abroad firm Leverage Edu. In favor of international students. ,
Chaturvedi predicts a surge in M1 visas, issued for vocational training in the US, driven by increased demand for teachers. “School districts in the Baltimore, Washington area are in need of teachers. While I don’t think F1 is in any trouble, I would certainly like to think that the M1 is a route the US wants to use more than ever. ,
Sonal Kapoor, chief business officer of Prodigy Finance, a fintech offering loans to international students, explained that mint 70%-75% of their students choose the US for STEM and MBA courses. “So far, no new policies have been implemented, so we have not seen any impact on students going to the US.”
