NC universities enroll 7,000 Indian students. Visa delays may threaten that

Brian Gordon, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Jul 27, 2025

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With the fall semester starting next month, Indian students are struggling to get visas to study in the United States, a group of U.S. representatives — 14 Democrats and one Republican — told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a letter Thursday.

Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat from Raleigh, was among the signees.

“As Members of Congress who represent research universities, we are concerned by reports from our constituent universities about Indian students who have been unable to obtain visas to continue their education in the United States,” the July 24 letter read.

More than 7,000 Indians studied at North Carolina universities in 2024 according to joint data from the State Department and Institute of International Education. They accounted for 29% of the state’s total international student enrollment, edging out Chinese students as the largest foreign student group.

India is the top foreign country of origin at NC State, and has ranked No. 2 in recent years at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill — behind China. Duke University and Medical Center had the most international students in North Carolina overall in 2024, followed by NC State, UNC-Charlotte, and UNC-Chapel Hill.

In May, Politico reported the Trump administration had paused student visa interviews while it considered enhancing vetting of applicants’ social media accounts. International students overall contributed $816 million to North Carolina’s economy, according to a 2023 study by NAFSA, Association of International Educators, a nonprofit that advocates for foreign educational exchanges.

“There is no urgent justification to halt visa appointments while internal policy updates are considered,” NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw wrote in a May 27 statement. “This only adds unnecessary delays, fuels uncertainty, and damages our reputation as a welcoming destination for global talent.”

India recently replaced China nationwide as the biggest home country for foreign students at American colleges, with more than 331,000 Indian students studying in the U.S. last year.

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska was the only Republican to sign the letter to Rubio. His district includes the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The State Department wrote in an email to The News & Observer on Saturday that “we generally do not comment on congressional correspondence.”

International students are more likely to pay full tuition compared to domestic students and thus provide financial benefits beyond the cultural and academic ones their supporters highlight. As top North Carolina universities react to federal funding cuts with staff reductions and freezes, getting foreign students on campus next year could carry greater importance.

When announcing voluntary faculty buyouts in June, Duke University President Vincent Price listed “restrictions on international education” among five Trump administration actions that carried “dire implications” for the school. On Friday, Duke notified faculty and staff that despite nearly 600 employees accepting buyouts, the school would still need to make involuntary layoffs next month.

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