US visa issuance slumps
The U.S. issued 250,000 fewer visas in early 2025 — an 11% drop from 2024 — with India and China hit hardest: work and student visa approvals fell by over 33%. The U.S. Chamber warns new travel rules and reduced visa throughput could threaten billions in tourism revenue if trends continue. ( )
India and China together accounted for roughly 84,000 of the reduced visa approvals, and the State Department data also shows declines of more than 10,000 for nationals of the Philippines and Vietnam. (business-standard.com)) Among the 61 countries that had at least 5,000 visa approvals in January–August 2024, only seven recorded an increase in approvals in the same period in 2025. (business-standard.com)) Student-authorized travel plunged in summer 2025, with the ICEF Monitor recording a roughly 36% drop in student visa issuances that season, and U.S. consular figures show just 12,776 F‑1 approvals for Indian nationals in early 2025. (jagranjosh.com)) Policy moves linked to the fall include a June 2025 travel ban covering 19 countries, a temporary three-week pause on student and exchange-visitor interviews, expanded vetting that added social‑media checks, and staffing cuts that slowed processing at consulates. (business-standard.com)) Congress’s 2025 legislation created a new $250 “Visa Integrity Fee” for most nonimmigrant applicants beginning October 1, 2025, as part of funding for enhanced screening and technology upgrades. (kpmg.com)) The State Department’s visa‑bond pilot — now expanded to require refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 for certain B‑1/B‑2 applicants from countries with high overstay rates — has been rolled out to 50 countries, with 12 added in the latest update. (federalregister.gov)) The U.S. Chamber warns those combined measures could dent a travel sector that the U.S. Travel Association values at roughly $3 trillion and supports about 15 million jobs, noting forecasts of roughly 85 million international visitors and an average foreign‑visitor spend of about $4,000 each. (uschamber.com))
