New Delhi: As many as 62 Indian students were denied entry into the United States over the last five years, the government informed Parliament on Thursday, citing data on deportations and entry refusals by foreign immigration authorities.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said Indian students were denied entry in several cases due to incomplete or inappropriate admission documents, failure to complete administrative procedures required for enrolment at universities, or their inability to answer basic questions related to their chosen field of study.

As on January 1, 2025, a total of 18,82,318 Indian students were studying abroad across 153 countries, the minister said. Country-wise figures showed that 2,55,447 students were studying in the US, 1,73,190 in the UK, 2,53,832 in the UAE and 1,96,108 in Australia.

The government also shared country-wise data on Indian students deported or denied entry during the last five years. Apart from the US, 11 such cases were reported from Kyrgyzstan, while nine other countries in the list reported nil entry denials.

On deportations, the UK accounted for the highest number with 170 cases, followed by Australia with 114, Russia with 82 and the US with 45. Thirteen students were deported from Ukraine and five from Finland during the same period.

Singh said the primary reasons for deportation included violations of visa norms and non-compliance with host country regulations. These involved breach of student visa conditions, unauthorised employment, illegal business activities, non-payment of university fees, failure to maintain required bank balances, poor academic attendance and withdrawal from registered courses.

He said safeguarding the welfare of Indian students abroad remains a high priority for the government, with Indian missions issuing advisories and regularly engaging with students and institutions.