Student Visa Statistics in 2026: Which Official Data Still Exists, What Is Missing and How to Read It

Official F-1 visa counts stop at February 2026, so here is every student visa dataset that still exists, how current it is and how to read it without repeating the viral errors.

Part of our guide to your SEVIS record.

Student visa statistics 2026 are incomplete, so check the date on any number before you trust it. As of November 1, 2026, the State Department's monthly visa issuance tables stop at February 2026. By our sum of those tables, 259,839 F-1 visas were issued in calendar year 2025, down 33.4% from 389,884 in 2024, and F-1 visas to Indian nationals fell 60.5%, from 76,695 to 30,317. The newest official count of student records is DHS's October 2026 SEVIS snapshot. Open Doors 2026 and a 2025 edition of SEVIS by the Numbers are not published.

Status as of 2026-11-01:

• Current: the SEVIS Data Mapping Tool (October 2026), the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub (through FY2026 Q4) and Global Visa Wait Times (updated 21-OCT-2026).
• Published but stale: State's monthly issuance tables (February 2026) and annual reports (FY2024); ICE's SEVIS by the Numbers (calendar year 2024).
• Expected, no date set: Open Doors 2026, likely about November 16.
• Unpublished: IIE's Fall 2026 Snapshot of new enrollment.

Student visa statistics 2026: what exists and what is missing

As of November 1, 2026, official US student visa statistics are split. State Department issuance data ends at February 2026, so there is no official count of the summer 2026 visa season. DHS's SEVIS data runs to October 2026, and the annual reports from IIE and ICE lag a year or more.

The two numbers people most want, visas issued this summer and new students who arrived this fall, are exactly the two with no official 2026 source. Everything else is a proxy that counts something different.

The official dataset map (as of 2026-11)

Each publisher's own page, opened 2026-11-01. IIE is a nonprofit, not a federal agency. State's visa statistics pages are linked at adoption.state.gov, which carries the same Travel.State.Gov pages.

How many F-1 visas were issued in 2025?

By our sum of State's monthly issuance tables, 259,839 F-1 visas were issued from January to December 2025: 33.4% fewer than 2024's 389,884 and, by our arithmetic, 41.3% below 2023's 442,391.

That is a calendar-year sum. State's Report of the Visa Office uses the October-September fiscal year, and its newest edition listed on 2026-11-01 is 2024, so State has published no 2025 total of either kind.

• The season is concentrated. May-August 2025 produced 171,032 F-1 visas against 267,960 a year earlier (-36.2%), about 66% of the 2025 total by our arithmetic.
• China outpaced India. Chinese nationals received 56,147 F-1 visas in 2025 (-30.3% from 80,550), nearly twice India's 30,317.
• A visa is not a student. The tables count visas issued, not who enrolled, arrived or was new, and a continuing student whose visa is still valid needs no new one.

Why is there no State Department visa data after February 2026?

State has not said. Its monthly issuance page lists files only through February 2026; on 2026-11-01 the March-September 2026 files returned "not found," and the page gives no reason or date. That gap covers seven of FY2026's twelve months, including May-August, the window that produced about two-thirds of 2025's F-1 visas.

What February 2026 can and cannot tell you

F-1 issuances were 4,035 in February 2026 against 6,804 in February 2025 (-40.7%). February 2025 was only about 2.6% of that year's F-1 total, by our arithmetic, so never multiply it by twelve or call -40.7% "the 2026 decline."

One month also distorts the mix. India rose from 411 to 657 while China fell from 1,117 to 488, the reverse of the 2025 pattern. Nigerian nationals received 2 F-1 visas, against 138 a year earlier, after Proclamation 10998 (in effect since 2026-01-01) put Nigeria on its partial list, which suspends new F, M and J visas among others; visas issued earlier were not revoked.

For interview appointments, use State's live Global Visa Wait Times estimates, which are not promises; for Indian posts, see checking Spring 2027 F-1 slots in India.

How much did F-1 visas for Indian students fall?

By our sum of State's monthly tables, Indian nationals received 30,317 F-1 visas in 2025, down 60.5% from 76,695 in 2024, and 62.3% fewer in the May-August peak (22,149 vs 58,694). India's share of F-1 visas fell from about 20% to about 12%, by our arithmetic.

ICEF Monitor's analysis reports India -57% and China -28%, but those cover F, M and J visas together. A "-69%" figure for India also circulates; it does not match State's F-1 totals by our sums, so do not repeat it.

Refusal data is thinner. According to Shorelight's analysis of State data obtained by public-records request, as reported by ICEF Monitor, the 2025 F-1 refusal rate was 35% overall and 61% for Indian applicants. State's published refusal table stops at FY2024, so there is no official 2025 figure to check it against.

Visas are a flow; SEVIS is a stock. In October 2026 active Indian SEVIS records were 316,893 (-13.5%) and Indian master's records 234,034 (-20.1%), smaller drops because, by our reading, the stock includes earlier arrivals. Our breakdown of the 2026 numbers for Indian students connects these to OPT and green-card queues.

Is SEVIS data the same as enrollment?

No. SEVIS counts records, not people. ICE's 2024 SEVIS by the Numbers report says: "A student may have more than one active SEVIS record in a given calendar year. Accordingly, this report refers to 'student records' rather than 'students' throughout."

The two SEVIS products give different totals:

• The annual report counted 1,582,808 active F-1 and M-1 records in calendar year 2024, which by our reading means every record active at any point that year.
• The monthly SEVIS Data Mapping Tool, which DHS says "is updated with information from SEVIS every month," shows one month: October 2026 is 1,192,572 by our sum, 7.1% below October 2025's 1,283,240.

Compare the same month year over year, and skip the doctorate line, which reflects an apparent reclassification from August 2026. According to news reports, public SEVIS reports also undercounted roughly 200,000 students from August 2024. ICE's SEVIS "What's New" page still lists the 2024 report as the latest. Our September 2026 SEVIS breakdown and fall 2026 enrollment data go deeper.

When is Open Doors 2026 released?

IIE had set no date as of 2026-11-01; its press page refers only to "the forthcoming release." Open Doors 2025 came out on 2025-11-17, during International Education Week, and IEW 2026 runs November 16-20, so about November 16 is likely but unconfirmed.

Open Doors 2026 measures the 2025/26 academic year, not fall 2026. Only its intensive-English part is out (2026-05-28: 66,033 students, -5%). The baseline is Open Doors 2025: 1,177,766 international students, 294,253 on OPT and 363,019 from India in 2024/25. No Open Doors 2026 international-student figure exists before release.

Name the OPT metric. Open Doors counts OPT participants (294,253). SEVIS by the Numbers counts authorizations: "In 2024, a total of 194,554 foreign students obtained work authorization through OPT," plus 95,384 through STEM OPT. See what to expect from Open Doors 2026 for release day.

Where is the H-1B and OPT work data?

Work-side data is fresher. The USCIS Data Hub page says it "includes data from fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2026 (quarter 4)," covering "the first decisions USCIS makes on petitions for initial and continuing employment."

DOL's OFLC performance data runs through FY2026 Q3: 426,659 LCA applications received (-8.8%). USCIS's quarterly form data also stops at FY2026 Q3 (April-June 2026), when post-completion OPT had 56,901 I-765 receipts and 70,225 pending. Q4 was not posted as of 2026-11-01; recent quarters have appeared 3-6 months after quarter-end. To turn these files into employer targets, see how to use LCA data and the Data Hub.

Why do headline numbers disagree?

Because they measure different things. Check the metric before you share one.

As of 2026-11. Sources: ICEF Monitor (linked above), NAFSA, the National Student Clearinghouse and the State and DHS tables above.

How to check a student visa number yourself

1. Open State's Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Statistics page and note the last month listed (February 2026 on 2026-11-01).
2. Download the "NIV Issuances by Nationality and Visa Class" file for each month, listed under fiscal-year headings.
3. Filter to F-1, leaving out F-2 dependents, M-1 and J-1.
4. Sum the same months for both years: January-December for a calendar year, October-September to match the Report of the Visa Office.
5. Compare the same month a year earlier on the SEVIS Data Mapping Tool.
6. Confirm on opendoorsdata.org and ICE's SEVIS "What's New" page whether a newer annual report exists.
7. Label each number with its metric, period and source, for example "F-1 visas issued, CY2025, our sum of State monthly tables."

Common misconception: "F-1 visas are down 40% in 2026 and India is down 69%." Correction (as of 2026-11-01): The 40.7% is February 2026 alone, a month in which Indian F-1 issuances rose. The 69% does not match State's F-1 totals. The best official evidence is calendar 2025 (F-1 -33.4%, India -60.5%, our sums) and October 2026 SEVIS (active records -7.1%).

What the data gap means for your OPT and H-1B search

• Your own clock matters more than national counts. The OPT unemployment limit is still 90 days, or 150 in total with STEM OPT (in effect, unchanged), and your EAD and I-20 dates set your timeline. See how OPT unemployment days are counted.
• A smaller cohort does not necessarily mean less competition. You compete with everyone applying for a posting, including people already on OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B.
• Use the fresh data. Employer-level H-1B and LCA files are more current than any student count; filter them by job title and state to find employers that file for your role.
• Ask the right person. Your DSO handles your SEVIS record, OPT and travel signatures; a licensed immigration attorney handles H-1B and status strategy.

Common mistakes

• Extrapolating February 2026. One low-volume month is not a year.
• Mixing F-1 with F, M and J. ICEF's -57% for India is not an F-1 figure.
• Calling SEVIS records "students enrolled this fall." They are active records in one month.
• Comparing calendar-year sums with fiscal-year reports. The two periods never line up.
• Confusing OPT participants with OPT authorizations (294,253 vs 194,554).
• Equating a revoked visa with lost status. A revoked visa is not a terminated SEVIS record; see SEVIS termination vs visa revocation and talk to your DSO.

Frequently asked questions

How many F-1 visas were issued in 2025?

By our sum of the State Department's monthly tables, 259,839 F-1 visas were issued in calendar year 2025, down 33.4% from 389,884 in 2024. State's fiscal-year reports stop at FY2024, so there is no official 2025 total to compare with.

Why is there no State Department visa data after February 2026?

State's monthly issuance page lists tables only through February 2026, and on November 1, 2026 the March to September 2026 files returned "not found." State has given no reason or date, so the summer 2026 visa season has no official count.

How much did F-1 visas for Indian students fall?

By our sum of State's monthly tables, Indian nationals received 30,317 F-1 visas in calendar year 2025, down 60.5% from 76,695 in 2024. ICEF Monitor's widely quoted -57% covers F, M and J visas together.

When is Open Doors 2026 released?

IIE had not announced a date as of November 1, 2026. Open Doors 2025 came out on November 17, 2025, during International Education Week, and the 2026 week runs November 16-20, so mid-November is likely but unconfirmed. It covers the 2025/26 academic year, not fall 2026.

Is SEVIS data the same as enrollment?

No. SEVIS counts active F-1 and M-1 records, and one student can hold more than one record in a year, which is why ICE's annual report refers to "student records" rather than students. Compare the same month year over year.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State, Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Statistics, Nonimmigrant Visa Statistics and Annual Reports
• U.S. Department of State, Global Visa Wait Times and Proclamation 10998 notice
• DHS Study in the States, SEVIS Data Mapping Tool and October 2026 data
• ICE, SEVIS What's New and 2024 SEVIS by the Numbers
• USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Immigration and Citizenship Data
• DOL OFLC, Performance Data
• IIE, Open Doors press page and Open Doors 2025 release
• ICEF Monitor on 2025 study visas and on refusal rates; NAFSA fall 2026 outlook; National Student Clearinghouse preliminary fall 2026

How we checked this: we opened every page above on November 1, 2026; F-1 totals, shares and percentage changes are our own sums of State's monthly tables, and SEVIS totals are our sums of the DHS tables.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-20, I-94, EAD or USCIS notice, and your DSO or immigration attorney, govern your situation.

If these numbers have you rethinking your OPT or H-1B timeline, F1Jobs can help you build a focused search plan around the data that is actually current.