Washington: India and China faced the steepest cuts under Trump administration’s tightened immigration rules, with 2.5 lakh fewer visas issued Jan-Aug 2025 versus 2024, State Department data shows.
Total permanent resident and temporary visas dropped 11%—excluding tourists, which also fell. Chinese and Indian nationals saw 84,000 fewer approvals, mainly students and workers.
Student visas plunged from 3.44 lakh (2024) to 2.38 lakh (2025). Family preference visas crashed 27% (44,000+ drop), fiancé/spouse halved from 37,229 to 18,894, sea/airline crew cut by 30,876, and cultural exchange visitors by 29,594. Business/tourism visas slipped 3.4% (nearly 2 lakh less).
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”. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott added: "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."
(Inputs from PTI)