Slamming the door shut? US has issued fewer family visas to Indians this year

Visa issuances drop between Feb-April 2025

Fewer Indian kin of US citizens were allowed to move to the United States this year in comparison to 2024, a Moneycontrol analysis of family visa data from the department of state has found.

The IR5 visa, issued to the parents of US citizens declined 11 percent during February-April period for Indian citizens, while the F3 visa, which allows married sons and daughters of US citizens to immigrate along with their spouses and children, fell sharply by 41 percent.

These family visas, categorised into immediate relative and family preference categories, allow foreign nationals to immigrate to the United States based on their relationship with an American citizen or lawful permanent resident.

While the US granted immigrant visas to nearly 7,000 Indian applicants during the same period in 2024, the number has fallen to 5,840 this year.

In contrast, there has been an increase in such visa for the citizens of neighbouring Bangladesh, which saw a 49 percent increase in immigrant visas, with family visa issuances nearly doubling.

The rise in visa approvals for Bangladesh has primarily come from two categories: the F4 visa, which allows siblings of US citizens to immigrate, and the IR5 visa, which permits the entry of parents of US citizens.

IR5 visas issued to Bangladeshis doubled, while F4 visa approvals increased by 81 percent over the same period of the previous year.

In India’s case, there was one significant area of growth — the I-5 investor visa category, which saw a 27 percent increase in approvals.

The "I-5" investor visa is a component of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which allows foreign investors to obtain permanent resident status (a green card) by investing in a commercial enterprise that creates or preserves jobs for Americans.

In the absence of total visa application count, it is difficult to determine whether the decline in visa issuances was on account of stricter regulation or fewer people applying for immigrant visas.

Overall visa applications were down 7 percent between February and April from with the previous year. The number of immigrant visas issued by the US to Indian nationals dropped 15 percent — more than double the global average.

China, which was issued more immigrant visas than these countries in the previous year, has seen a 21 percent decline, the biggest drop among the countries examined.

In the case of Pakistan, the decline was 9 percent.

Donald Trump, who took office as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, had reaffirmed his tough immigration policies in his inauguration speech.

Mexico — a focal point of Trump’s immigration stance — saw only a 5.4 percent drop in visa issuances. Iran recorded a modest 5 percent decline during the period.