Donald Trump favouring Pakistan over India? US student visa data suggests so, check details

US President Donald Trump.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House this January, US foreign policy seems to be leaning on Pakistan more than India. However, this “favoritism” is not limited to trade. Now, Indian students also feel heat. For years, the United States has been the aim of working for Indians. In fact, more than 3.3 Lakh Indian students were studying at American universities in 2023-24 and made them the largest international group of students in the USA. But when Trump’s policies are in place, it becomes much more difficult for Indian students. In July, the US Department of State required all student and exchange visa applicants to share their social media accounts for checks, and brought another obstacle to a challenging process. Add a sharp drop in the F1 visa approval, and the situation seems quite terrible.

How to compare the India-PAK Student visa data?
Between October 2023 and September 2024, the United States distributed an 86,067 F1 student visa to Indians. This is a 34 percent decline compared to the previous year. And things don’t get better. In the first five months of 2025, the number fell again, and in the same period of the previous year, only 11,484 visas fell 29 percent compared to 16,105. On the other hand, Pakistan saw a big leap of 28 percent in student visas, and China felt a pinch of only 8 percent.

What prefers Pakistan to India behind Trump?
This comes, even if the Trump administration has slapped much higher tariffs than Pakistan in India. India first received a tariff of 25 percent, which increased to 50 percent soon, Pakistan was shot with a tariff of only 19 percent. This is probably a very clear gap that points to a more friendly US approach to Pakistan due to its strategic position in the region and its influence in both South Asia and the Middle East.