Indian Journalist with $100,000 Columbia Scholarship Denied US Visa Due to Social Media Vetting

Oct 07, 2025 04:47 pm CST

A 27-year-old Indian journalist, Kaushik Raj, was denied a US student visa despite securing a $100,000 scholarship to Columbia University. His rejection appears linked to social media vetting practices implemented under the Trump administration, highlighting broader trends as US student visa approvals for Indians dropped by 44.5% in recent months.