Gujarat has seen the craze for going abroad, both for studies and also for settling down on foreign shores. However, the changing visa norms in various countries, including America and Canada, has led to a drop in students going abroad for studies.
According to a report in a vernacular daily, there has been a drop by 40 per cent in students going abroad. The data is based on the number of applications Gujarat University receives.
Sources said that students wanting to go abroad have to apply for online verification and transcripts in the universities where they have studied in India.
According to the report, as against 18,237 applications received from April 2023 to March 2024, only 11,071 applications were received from April 2024 to March 2025. This is a 40 per cent drop as compared to the previous year.
From April 2025 to August, the University has received 4,066 applications. This figure was 14,864 between April 2022 to March 2023.
Janak Nayak, managing director of NB Visa World Pvt. Ltd., told Vibes of India that a large number of students explore the options for Canada. However, people are confused with the changing rules, he added, explaining that in eighty per cent of the cases, the intention of the students is to settle there and learn.
According to him, with the changing rules in the US, people are doubting the return on investment. Nayak also felt that to some extent social media is also responsible as people interpret things on their own.
Mittal Shah (name changed) of Ahmedabad, said that she dropped the idea of going to the US for post-graduation. “With the changing rules, I am not sure whether it will be worth it to go to the US. Instead I will study in India,” she said.
For the unversed, the US administration announced an increase in the annual H-1B visa fee to USD 100,000, a move that is aimed at prioritising top-tier, high-salary roles. This change is expected to reshape opportunities for Indian professionals, particularly early-career workers, and alter how IT companies manage their US workforce.
However, on September 20, the White House issued a clarification. The $100,000 fee will be a “one-time” payment imposed only on new applicants. The order came into force on Sunday midnight. H-1B petitions submitted before the effective proclamation date are not affected.
Also Read: Trump’s Fee Hike Rattles Markets, Hits Indian Tech Stocks https://www.vibesofindia.com/trumps-fee-hike-rattles-markets-hits-indian-tech-stocks/
