62 Indian Students Denied Entry to US: Comprehensive Analysis of International Student Challenges and Government Response

New Delhi:

According to data presented by the Centre in Parliament on Thursday, 62 Indian students have been denied entry to the United States by foreign immigration authorities over the past five years.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh provided a written response in the Rajya Sabha that included country-specific data regarding Indian students deported from various nations during this period.

Singh explained that in numerous cases, "entry of Indian students had been denied by foreign immigration authorities because they carried incomplete or inappropriate admission documents from their universities, failed to complete required administrative procedures for university enrollment, or were unable to answer basic questions about their chosen field of study in foreign academic institutions."

The Ministry of External Affairs also addressed queries about the number of Indian students studying abroad in different countries.

Based on the data shared by Singh, as of January 1, 2025, the total count of Indian students studying abroad across 153 countries was 18,82,318.

The country-wise breakdown showed 2,55,447 students in the US, 1,73,190 in the UK, 2,53,832 in the UAE, and 1,96,108 in Australia.

The ministry also responded to questions regarding country-wise figures on Indian students "deported or denied entry by foreign immigration authorities" during the last five years.

The government provided data for 11 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Finland.

According to the tabulated data, 62 Indian students were denied entry to the US and 11 to Kyrgyzstan during the last five years. For the remaining nine countries on this list, the figures were reported as nil.

Regarding deportations, the data revealed that 170 Indian students were deported from the UK, 114 from Australia, 82 from Russia, 45 from the US, 13 from Ukraine, and five from Finland during this period.

The MEA also addressed questions about the primary reasons for these deportations, including cases related to fraudulent or unaccredited foreign educational programs, and the measures taken by the ministry to protect Indian students from misleading foreign educational courses.

"The major reasons cited for deportations primarily relate to violations of visa norms and non-compliance with the regulations of host countries by Indian students," Singh stated.

"Common grounds for deportation include breach of student visa conditions, such as undertaking employment not permitted under student visa rules, illegal business activities, or violations of internal regulations of the host country, such as acts inciting ethnic hatred, conflict, separatism, or disseminating prohibited information."

"Students have also faced deportation by foreign governments for failing to maintain the requisite financial bank balance in countries where they had been studying, for not paying university fees or for being unable to demonstrate adequate financial capacity to support their stay and studies, for having insufficient attendance in classes or for complete withdrawal from the registered academic programmes or universities, etc."

The minister emphasized that the Indian government gives "high priority" to safeguarding the interests and welfare of Indian students abroad, including protecting them from misleading foreign educational courses.

Indian missions maintain regular contact with Indian students enrolled in foreign universities, he noted.

"Embassy officials also visit universities and educational institutions in their jurisdictions to interact with Indian students and student associations and to assess any issues concerning the credibility or quality of courses being pursued."

"Several Indian Missions also issue formal advisories for Indian students under their jurisdiction aimed towards protecting their interests, welfare and safety in foreign lands," Singh concluded.