USCIS processing slows, visas plunge

The latest immigration data points to a two-track squeeze on international students and universities: slower case handling inside U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and a sharp drop in F-1 student visas issued to Indian nationals during the key 2025 admissions season. The American Immigration Council said on August 5 that USCIS processing continued to deteriorate in fiscal 2026, with fewer completions, larger backlogs and longer waits for decisions. The Economic Times, citing an analysis of U.S. State Department visa data by the Center for Immigration Studies, reported that F-1 visas issued to Indians fell 62% between May and August 2025. Together, those shifts add friction for students, graduates and campuses that depend on tightly timed paperwork. ### How much has USCIS processing slowed? The American Immigration Council said USCIS had 11.3 million pending applications and petitions in fiscal 2026 first quarter, up from 9.7 million a year earlier, a 16.5% increase. The group said USCIS received 33.6% fewer applications and completed 40.8% fewer cases than in fiscal 2025 first quarter, extending what it called the eleventh straight quarter in which completions trailed receipts. In fiscal 2026 first quarter, USCIS completed 86 applications for every 100 it received, according to the council’s dashboard analysis. The group said that ratio means backlogs can keep growing even when filing volumes fall. ### Which student-related filings are getting hit? Form I-765, the application used for employment authorization, showed one of the largest increases in pending cases, according to the American Immigration Council. (americanimmigrationcouncil.org) The backlog for I-765 grew by 446,650 cases, or 38%, and pending applications tied to adjustment-of-status beneficiaries nearly tripled to 461,884 from 154,469 a year earlier, the group said. USCIS says applicants can still check form-by-form timelines through its online processing-times tool, which now lists some service-center work under “Service Center Operations” rather than a single location. The agency said it changed the presentation because cases can move among multiple sites based on staffing and business needs. ### What happened to Indian student visas? The Economic Times reported that 22,149 F-1 visas were issued to Indian nationals between May and August 2025, down from 58,694 in the same period of 2024. (americanimmigrationcouncil.org) Business Standard, citing the same Center for Immigration Studies analysis of State Department data, reported that the May-to-August total was also 60% below the average for comparable admission seasons between 2017-19 and 2021-24. (egov.uscis.gov) Chinese nationals also saw a decline, though smaller, with 40,034 F-1 visas issued in May through August 2025, down 34% from 61,075 a year earlier, the reports said. The May-August window matters because it accounts for most student visa issuance before the academic year begins. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What is behind the visa drop? The Economic Times said the decline coincided with tighter screening for international students under the Trump administration. The report said the administration temporarily paused new student visa interview appointments worldwide in May 2025 before resuming them with expanded screening procedures. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Business Standard reported that the changes included enhanced vetting, expanded social-media screening and temporary pauses in visa interviews at U.S. consulates. Those steps, it said, contributed to slower visa processing during the main admissions cycle. ### Why does this matter for graduate programs and research plans? (economictimes.indiatimes.com) India sent 363,019 students to U.S. higher education in the 2024-25 academic year, according to figures cited by the Economic Times from the Institute of International Education. Business Standard reported that 294,253 international graduates were working under Optional Practical Training in 2024-25, including 143,740 Indian nationals. (business-standard.com) Those figures mean delays can reach beyond initial enrollment. Slower USCIS adjudications can affect work authorization and other status-related filings, while fewer visas issued during the summer window can reduce the number of students arriving in time for fall programs, lab placements and university onboarding, based on the filing and issuance data reported by the two outlets. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What should readers watch next? USCIS says its online processing-times page remains the official place to monitor form-specific waits as the agency adjusts how service-center cases are reported. The next useful checkpoints will be updated USCIS quarterly filing data and future State Department visa issuance releases covering the next May-to-August admissions window. (egov.uscis.gov) (americanimmigrationcouncil.org)