Trends in US student Visa rejections: A Cato Institute Report

Over 250,000 visa applications for studying abroad were denied, constituting about 36% of the total submissions in 2023, marking the highest rate in 20 years.

According to a report by the Cato Institute,

The rejection rate for student visas in 2023 was 36.3% of the total applications. Since 2013, this has been the highest rate. During this period, 2015 saw the highest number of visa applications with over 786,000, yet the number of rejections was lower than in 2023.

Over the span of 10 years, the student visa rejection rate has more than doubled from the 15% mark in 2014. According to the Cato Institute, Indian students face the highest rate of rejections, accounting for about 29%.

David J. Bier, Deputy Director of Research at the Cato Institute, stated that the US Department of State does not clearly state the reasons for denying student visas. He believes that in most cases, it's due to the inability to prove the intention to return to their home country after graduation.

One of the requirements for applying for an F-1 visa is acceptance into a university in the US. According to the Cato Institute, on average, each student needs to pay $30,000 in tuition and living expenses per year. Therefore, the total amount denied by the US amounts to $7.6 billion. The Cato report highlights

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a public policy research organization

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the disparity in rejection rates

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