Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
24th Apr 2019

US visa data shows declining international numbers

The US Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is always an interesting window into international enrolment trends in the US – not least for its ability to provide something close to a real-time snapshot of student numbers. The latest quarterly release of SEVIS data for March 2019 continues a downward trend that we first observed last year. In March 2018, the SEVIS numbers, reflecting active student visa holders at all levels of study in the US, showed a very marginal decrease (-.5%) compared to March 2017. The March 2019 data now reveals a second straight year of declining numbers with a nearly 3% drop in the number of foreign students with active US student visas. There were just under 1,170,000 foreign students in the US as of March 2019 compared to slightly more than 1,200,000 as of March 2018 (a decrease of -2.7% year over year). This reflects enrolment at all levels of study – including language courses, degrees, community college, vocational, and K–12 – as well as those students who have graduated but remain in the US for Optional Practical Training placements. The top 15 sending markets for US institutions and schools account for slightly more than three in four foreign enrolments in the country (76%). The following table looks at the number of student visa holders for each of these leading sending markets as of March 2018 and March 2019. As the table reflects, 14 of the top 15 source markets declined year over year. In most cases, these are marginal decreases, the exceptions being South Korea (which continues its longer-term trend with a drop of nearly -8% this year), Saudi Arabia (which fell off -17% as the teach-out of scholarship students continues), and Iran (where the -9% decline has likely been influenced by the US administration’s travel ban and by rising political tensions between the two countries generally). Brazil stands out as the lone sending market among the top 15 to have increased as of March 2019. active-us-student-visas-for-students-from-leading-sending-countries-march-2018-and-march-2019 Active US student visas for students from leading sending countries, March 2018 and March 2019. Source: SEVIS This latest SEVIS data reinforces a marginal downward trend in foreign enrolments in the US that we have been tracking over the last couple of years. The Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, for example, highlights that, when OPT numbers are factored out, the number of international students on American university and college campuses fell by -1.3% between 2016/17 and 2017/18. This marked the first time there had been a reduction in this top-line value in more than a decade. Open Doors reports over the last two years, however, have also noted a decreasing trend in terms of foreign student commencements in the US. For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • UK transnational education enrolments poised to surpass onshore students this decade Read More
  • Trump administration’s proposed deal with select US colleges includes a cap on international undergraduate enrolment Read More
  • Australia introduces new integrity measures through proposed amendments to the ESOS Act Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

UK transnational education enrolments poised to surpass onshore students this decade The latest available numbers from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) tell us that there were 732,285 international...
Read more
Trump administration’s proposed deal with select US colleges includes a cap on international undergraduate enrolment The White House has sent a draft “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine US colleges...
Read more
Australia introduces new integrity measures through proposed amendments to the ESOS Act Australian Minister of Education Jason Clare tabled the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 in...
Read more
Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees The latest data from the Department of Education reveals that enrolments in Australia’s ELICOS sector (English Language Intensive...
Read more
South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule In 2023, the South Korean government announced a plan to attract 300,000 international students by 2027: 220,000 in...
Read more
Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025 In 2024, the first year under Canada’s current cap on new international student enrolments, the total number of...
Read more
UK confirms levy on international student fees as new analysis argues that government is “drastically underestimating” the impact of the move Updated for 30 September 2025: On 29 September, the Department of Education announced that it would reinstate “means-tested...
Read more
US administration’s new H-1B policies create uncertainty around post-study work rights The H-1B programme is a key policy mechanism for international students in the United States. Aside from the...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links