New Delhi: The US Embassy in India Tuesday issued an advisory to international students, warning them that dropping out or skipping classes without informing the school can result in the revocation of the student visa, or even make them ineligible for future US visas.
In a post on social platform X, the embassy said, “If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future U.S. visas. Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues”.
The statement follows an advisory from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 17 May, which reminded students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas that they must report their employment within 90 days of starting the programme. Failure to do so could result in the termination of their status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), ICE had warned.
It also said that violations of their visa, such as unauthorised leaves or inadequate academic attendance, could lead not only to deportation or loss of OPT eligibility, but could also adversely affect future applications for US visas, including H-1B, L-1, or even green cards.
The 2024 Open Doors Report, which tracks international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US, said that for the first time in 15 years, India surpassed China to become the leading source of international students to the country. More than 3.31 lakh Indian students (331,602) were currently studying in the US during the 2023–24 academic year—an all-time high.
If you drop out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future U.S. visas. Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues. pic.twitter.com/34wJ7nkip0
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) May 27, 2025
This marked a 23 percent increase from the previous year, when 268,923 Indian students were enrolled in American institutions for the 2022–23 academic session.
The latest advisory comes amid a crackdown on immigration by the Donald Trump administration, including invoking a wartime-era Act to deport thousands of immigrants. International students were warned by many of their schools to avoid unnecessary travel outside the US due to potential visa complications.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Thoughts go to that patriarch in Pakeezah. Raaj Kumar – has any Indian actor delivered dialogues better – telling him, Iss ghar mein toh aap ki ijaazat ke bina saans lena namumqin hai.