Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old journalist from Delhi, was all set to start his master’s in data journalism at Columbia University. He even won a $100,000 scholarship. But his dream ended suddenly when the US Embassy in New Delhi rejected his student visa.
Raj believes the reason was his social media activity. He said he never posted extreme opinions but often wrote about hate crimes in his work. The embassy letter claimed he did not show strong enough ties to India that would make him return. Raj disagrees. “It was clearly because they had checked my social media,” he told The Washington Post. Now, he plans to apply to the UK. Raj is not the only one. Three other Indian students said they faced the same problem. They cleared interviews and paperwork but were denied after officials reviewed their online activity.
Since June, the US has required all student visa applicants to keep their social media public for background checks. Officials say this helps protect national security. The result has been clear. In August 2025, student visas issued to Indians fell by 44.5%. China has now overtaken India as the top source of students in the US.
