More than 7,000 student exchange visitors from India overstayed in U.S. in 2023: Expert tells lawmakers

Expert suggests reforms in U.S. immigration policies, including H-1B visas, due to high student/exchange visitor overstay rates.

“More than 7,000 students and exchange visitors from India overstayed in the U.S. in 2023,” an expert told U.S. lawmakers and suggested several reforms in the country’s immigration policies, including those related to H-1B visas.

As many as 32 countries have student/exchange visitor overstay rates of higher than 20%, Jessica M Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies told the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary during a hearing on “Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America.” The F and M visa categories have the highest overstay rates of any of the broad categories of temporary admission. 

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The F-1 Visa allows a person to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training programme. The M-1 visa category includes students in vocational or other nonacademic programmes, other than language training.

“Four countries — Brazil, China, Colombia and India — each had more than 2,000 of their citizens overstaying student/exchange visas in 2023, with India having the highest number (7,000),” Ms. Vaughan said on Wednesday (January 29, 2025.) 

“Visa issuance policies need adjustments and interior enforcement should be strengthened. Furthermore, Congress should amend the law in several significant ways,” she stated.

“First, the concept of dual intent should not apply to student visa applicants; instead, each applicant should be required to demonstrate an intent and likelihood to return to their home country after their studies,” she added.