A new report indicates a decrease in international student enrolments in US colleges, but India remains the top source of international students.
The US has expanded its review of social media and online presence to cover all H-1B speciality occupation workers and their H-4 dependents, the US embassy in India said on December 10.
Australia, Canada, US and UK are restricting immigration, but other countries are opening their doors.
'If you follow the law, America offers opportunities. But those who violate the law will face the consequences.'
Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian student at Columbia University, has left the United States after her student visa was revoked over allegations of supporting Hamas. Srinivasan, a PhD student in Urban Planning, claims her visa was revoked for engaging in protected political speech. The Trump administration has been accused of targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators through the use of federal immigration powers, and this case has drawn attention to the potential for free speech suppression in the United States.
Many students are now looking at opportunities in the UK, Australia, and Singapore due to lower cost of living and less interference from the government.
Study abroad experts explain how Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Dubai are redefining global education.
Outlining each visa adjudication as a "national security decision", the US has asked applicants to share their social media usernames or handles of each platform they have used in the last five years.
Sufficient financial support may fail to get you the US visa if your communication skills are poor.
Nineteen United States states have sued the Trump administration over its 'unlawful' decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, warning that the move will worsen labour shortages in key sectors such as health care, education and technology.
"She was a brilliant student and had completed her MBBS in Kyrgyzstan between 2005 and 2010. Her academic record was excellent, and she had big dreams for her future," Lakshmi told PTI.
Trump described the Gold Card as a "Green Card, but much better, much more powerful, a much stronger path and a path is a big deal. Have to be great people, but much stronger path", which also helps companies.
University College London has recorded a 19 per cent and 26 per cent rise in undergraduate and postgraduate students from India for the 2026 term, indicating a preference for the UK over the US at a time when Indian students are facing visa uncertainties in US-based institutions.
The share of Indian students pursuing OPT has nearly doubled from 22.12 per cent in 2006-07 to over 40 per cent in 2023-24.
New data reveals a significant drop in UK net migration, with Indian students and workers topping the list of those leaving the country.
'Unfortunately, today most ministers are busy with either election duty or praising duty. They are not interested in serving duty.' 'Ministers have become relaxed like retired people still holding onto jobs.' 'Look at how the NEET paper leaked. But there is no accountability.' 'After 12 years, they have become saturated. They are short of ideas.'
The Punjab Police action came amid its ongoing crackdown against gangsters in the state.
The US Embassy has directed all international students aspiring to study in the United States to adjust privacy settings on their social media profiles to 'public' not just while applying for a visa but also during their entire course of study, effective immediately.
US Vice President JD Vance has stated that immigrants who become US citizens should prioritise the interests of the United States above their country of origin. He emphasised the importance of allegiance to the US for the effective functioning of the American system.
The Punjab government has announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 28 proclaimed offenders, including foreign-based gangsters, prompting criticism from the BJP regarding the state's law and order situation.
If the Indian government is indeed serious about reversing brain drain, it needs to put much more emphasis on research and innovation, especially in areas that will determine the future, asserts Prosenjit Datta.
In a much-needed relief for foreign students looking to study in the US, the Biden administration has announced they can now apply for a visa up to a year before their academic term begins.
An American lawmaker will be introducing a bill to "completely eliminate" the H-1B visa programme and take away the pathway to citizenship that it offers, "forcing" individuals to "return home" when their visa expires.
'Initiatives such as the Young Professionals Scheme also offer young graduates the chance to live and work in the UK after gaining experience.'
The EB-5 Programme has been in effect since 1990 as an opportunity for the immigrant and their family to obtain permanent residency to the US.
As the US gets tougher with visas, the prayers of US-bound devotees in India are getting more fervent, and their purse strings looser. Called Visa Hanuman temples (there are half a dozen all over India), some of them ask for a 'fee'.
The US consulate in Mumbai has granted visas to the family members of Indian student Neelam Shinde, who suffered serious injuries in a road accident in California and is undergoing treatment. Shinde, who hails from Satara in Maharashtra and is studying in the United States, is still in a coma at a hospital in San Francisco, but her condition has slightly improved. The Ministry of External Affairs had taken up the family's request for an urgent visa with the US authorities.
Neelam Shinde from Maharashtra's Satara was critically injured in the accident on February 14 and has been in a coma at a hospital since then.
The Student Partnership Programme launched recently by the Canadian High Commission, New Delhi has simplified and fast-tracked the application process.
Mail your tips and stories to getahead@rediff.co.in with the subject line 'My H-1B Visa Story'.
The third phase of stricter rules for foreign students under the tier4 of the points-based system will come into force from today. According to the UK Border Agency, foreign students need to prove that they have unconditional offer of a seat at a licensed college, university or school under the new visa requirements introduced from March this year.
'We sent just 500 people from India to the US on H-1B visas. There is no dependence on H-1B visas.'
'Brazil, China, Colombia and India each had more than 2,000 of their citizens overstaying student/exchange visas, with India having the highest number (7,000).'
The foreign degree no longer sells itself, families are doing the math, and for many, the numbers just don't add up.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday morning that 'Philippine immigration authorities said the father and son accused of killing 15 people in Sydney visited the country last month and travelled on Indian passports.'
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked Indian students in the US to comply with American laws following the detention of a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University and the self-deportation of another student to Canada. The MEA spokesperson said that the two Indians did not reach out to Indian missions in the US for assistance. Badar Khan Suri, the postdoctoral fellow, was detained on charges of "actively spreading Hamas propaganda." Ranjani Srinivasan, a student at Columbia University, self-deported to Canada after her visa was revoked for allegedly "advocating for violence and terrorism" and involvement in activities supporting Hamas. The MEA spokesperson also said that India is keen to bolster educational ties with the US.
Rediff reports on the reasons behind this dramatic shift.
The department of homeland security withdrew Harvard certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, effectively barring the university from admitting new foreign students and threatened the legal status of current international enrollees.
The Trump administration announced those F-1 and M-1 (non-academic and vocational students) visa holders planning to take online classes only will not be allowed to remain in the United State.
'You are a guest in the US. It's not your home, you're a guest. If they don't feel comfortable, you have to step out.'
