Hyderabad, a city known for sending a large number of students to the US on F1 visas for master’s programs, is now seeing a shift in sentiment. The US Embassy India recently issued a warning stating that international students who skip classes, drop out, or fail to inform their institution about leaving their course may face serious consequences. These include revocation of their current visa and ineligibility for future US visas. This announcement, shared via the Embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, has triggered widespread concern among aspiring students in Hyderabad.
Following the announcement, several students have begun exploring alternative destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the UK. The tightening of US immigration policies, along with fears of deportation under the Trump administration’s recent moves, has led many to view the US as a less secure option for higher education. A student preparing for the IELTS exam shared that he decided to drop the US from his list due to the uncertainty surrounding visa norms. Others have already begun application processes in countries with more student-friendly immigration policies.
Further fueling concern is the US Department of Homeland Security’s announcement offering $1,000 and travel assistance to undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the US using the CBP Home App. This “voluntary departure” initiative has been viewed as part of a broader, more rigid approach to immigration enforcement. For many Hyderabad-based students, such developments signal a need to reconsider not just academic opportunities, but long-term prospects in the US, prompting them to pivot to countries perceived as more welcoming and stable.
