Mar 15, 2018, 7:43 PM
(from ICEF Monitor) New data from the U.S. State Department points to a marked decrease in the number of F-1 visas issued to international students in 2017. The F-1 visa class applies for students engaged in long-term studies in US higher education, as well as those on Optional Practical Training (OPT) placements following graduation. There was a 17 percent decline from 2016, and a nearly 39 percent drop from the recent-year high in 2015.
Of particular note within this overall count of F-1s is a 28 percent drop in the number of visas granted to Indian students and a 24 percent decline in visas for Chinese students. These are the number two and number one sending markets for the U.S., respectively, and they have collectively contributed the lion’s share of overall enrollment growth for U.S. schools in recent years.
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