As per the data from the National Foundation for American Policy, a US think tank, which has attributed the fall to tighter regulations by the Donald Trump administration. The drop line is in line with the overall decline period of 7.3 per cent seen during fiscal year 2016 to fiscal year 2018, according to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis of recently released data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the 2018 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.
Stuart Anderson, executive director, NFAPsaid, " Much of the decline in Indian immigrants coming to America in 2018 was due to fewer spouses, children and parents of US citizens gaining approval to immigrate. That is due to administration policies that created more extensive vetting of applications, longer delays and more visa denials at US consulates."
Also Read: Over 2 lakh Indians waiting for family-sponsored US Green Card
During the same period, the number of Indian citizens who were granted green cards fell from 64,687 in fiscal year 2016 to 59,821 in fiscal year 2018. Within this, the drop was the steepest in the 'immediate relatives of US residents' category, lower by 14.8 per cent with 20,652 green cards granted.
Since, Donal Trump became President in 2017, the US government has tightened immigration norms both through policy changes and by introducing more checks that have slowed down the pace at which green card petitions are being granted.