The US Department of State rejected more than a quarter of a million student visa applications in 2023, setting a new record for visa refusals.
F-1 visa issuance in the United States has progressively increased since a record low during the pandemic, but denial rates have roughly doubled since 2021 compared to all other forms of non-immigrant visa applications.
Foreign citizens seeking to study at US business schools must obtain an F-1 non-immigrant visa. Every year, MBA and business master’s students make extensive use of this resource.
Compared to a 15% refusal rate in 2014, almost 36% of student visas were denied in 2023. According to David J. Bier, associate director of immigration studies at The Cato Institute, this has substantial economic ramifications, which he highlighted in a blog post.
“The US Department of State turned down 253,355 students who would have paid around $30,000 per year, or $7.6 billion in tuition and living expenses. Over four years, the figure grows to $30.4 billion in lost economic benefits for the United States,” Biers stated.
The State Department has not explained why there are so many student visa denials, although nearly all of them are due to a failure to prove “non-immigrant intent”. This means that applicants fail to show a strong desire to return to their home country after completing their education. Proving non-immigrant intent is especially difficult for students who want to stay in the United States for an extended period of time but lack the economic and social links of more established visa applicants.
The State Department has not revealed the denial rate by country for the past two years. However, the recent increase in Indian applicants for F-1 visas may be a factor. Indian applicants, who have historically been more likely than Chinese students to be denied a visa, accounted for a record 29% of all visa issuances in 2023, potentially raising the global average of rejection rates.
There have been new complaints raised regarding how Consular Affairs conducts visa interviews, with some lasting less than two minutes.
According to a US immigration lawyer interviewed by The PIE News, consular personnel have the discretion to deny visa applications if it appears that the applicant may overstay their visit. They are rarely punished for doing so.
High tuition fees for international students help to offset the cost of enrolling domestic students. Education professionals are concerned about the economic and cultural impact of high visa refusal rates, as F-1 visa applicants must first be accepted into a government-approved university.
In 2021, the State Department attempted to cut student visa evidentiary standards to pre-2016 levels. The high level of visa refusals today demonstrates that this was insufficient to enhance visa issuance.
NAFSA, the international educators’ association, has been advocating to broaden dual intent for F-1 visa applicants. This would allow students to declare an interest in relocating permanently to the United States following their studies without jeopardizing their prospects of obtaining a visa.
Visa applications require a major investment of time and resources, costing upwards of $1,000 for the application, English language tests, and the SAT, in addition to other hidden charges. As a result, educators are increasingly concerned about the detrimental impact of visa denial rates on the United States’ reputation as an appealing study location, which may drive prospective students to apply elsewhere.
Year-on-Year Change In Number Of F-1 Visas Issued
