F-1 visa rejections in US reach 10-year high

The United States has seen a significant rise in student visa rejections, reaching a 10-year high during the last fiscal year. A recent report shows that 41 percent of F-1 visa applications were denied from October 2023 to September 2024. The F-1 visa allows international students to study at U.S. educational institutions. Last year, the U.S. received approximately 679,000 applications for these visas. However, 279,000 of them were rejected. This marks an increase from the previous year, where 36 percent of applications were denied. Despite the high demand for U.S. education, the total number of granted visas has fallen. In 2023-2024, about 401,000 F-1 visas were issued, down from 445,000 the year before. The U.S. State Department has not provided specific rejection rates by country. They indicated that visa decisions are made individually and depend on various federal laws. Changes in how visa data is reported after 2019 have also impacted the information available. Overall, the trend shows a decrease in student visa approvals, raising concerns among prospective international students.