Not just goods, Indian tourists are also finding it difficult to reach the US
THE impact of US restrictions is spilling over from goods to people, with Indian tourists beginning to feel the pinch. The number of tourist visas granted by the US to Indians fell 7 percent in April–May 2025 compared with the same period last year.
A Moneycontrol analysis shows that visa approvals have been slipping consistently since March, when the US had issued more than 97,000 visas, pointing to tightening scrutiny or capacity constraints at consulates.
Tourist visas to India have declined
(tourist and business visas granted by the US)
April-May 2025 April-May 2024
India
182,569
197,074
China - mainland
165,066
126,111
Brazil
131,354
200,000
Colombia
111,287
82,776
Argentina
42,857
50,352
Dominican Republic
30,636
26,383
Ecuador
26,744
41,595
Peru
23,371
29,191
Guatemala
22,206
14,892
Vietnam
21,094
24,080
Overall
1,096,751
1,236,636
Source: US State Travel Created with Datawrapper
In April, Indian travellers secured 91,710 US tourist visas under the B1/B2 category, down 9.6 percent from a year earlier. The slowdown persisted in May, when approvals slipped 5 percent to 90,859. Overall, Indians received 182,569 tourist visas in the two-month period, compared with 196,983 in April–May 2024.
“We are seeing a further slowdown in demand for the US currency as visa processes have become more difficult after US President Donald Trump assumed office in January. People are instead looking at Europe and East Asian countries for travel,” said Akash Bansal, managing director, Yakshni Finmart Pvt Ltd, a forex firm in Delhi.
The decline is not unique to India. Approvals to Pakistan (-47%), Nepal (-47%), Bangladesh (-37%) and the Philippines (-37%) also fell sharply, reflecting a broader recalibration of the US visa regime in South and Southeast Asia.
While approvals to India remain the largest in South Asia by volume, the drop comes at a time when outbound travel demand is rebounding after pandemic disruptions. In 2024, the US issued over a million non-immigrant visas to Indians—the second time this milestone was reached.
Interestingly, some regions have bucked the trend. Mainland China recorded a 31 percent increase in approvals to more than 165,000 in April–May, while Colombia and Guatemala saw double-digit growth. This divergence suggests shifting US priorities, with greater openness to certain geographies even as approvals to India and its neighbours tighten.
Diversion to other destinations
The slowdown in US visa approvals is already nudging Indian tourists to alternative destinations. In the UK, visitor visa applications from India rose 4 percent in the April–June quarter of 2025, while approvals were up 9 percent year-on-year.
