saw the new data USCIS published last week. it seems there were a lot fewer people trying to get an H1B this year. Is it the economy is bad or simply because the application fee raised from 10 to 210 dollars per candidate? What do you guys think? Is US still attractive to international students.
US is still attractive for its high salary, but after the immigration policies became tighten, a lot of ppl are considering Germany, Netherlands or other EU countries those are more welcome immigrants.
this economy kinda sucks mannnnn 
Yeah, I noticed that too — way fewer registrations this year. Honestly, I think it’s a mix of things:
The fee hike probably filtered out a bunch of spam/mass entries
Job market’s still shaky, especially for tech
And a lot of people are just tired of the constant visa stress
The U.S. is still attractive in some ways — but for many international students, it’s starting to feel like high effort, low reward unless you get super lucky with timing.
Curious if anyone here has actually decided to go elsewhere (Canada, UK, etc)?
I have a friend who’s planning to relocate to the UK after not getting picked in the H1B lottery. But honestly, anywhere with visa pressure isn’t easy. The salary potential in the US still feels more attractive compared to most places in Europe.
Still a lot of students come
Yeah, the U.S. is definitely still the top choice for many international students, especially for STEM and business programs. The recent USCIS data was interesting—fewer H-1B applicants this year compared to the last cycle.
I don’t think it’s just because of the fee increase (from $10 to $215); while that’s a big jump percentage-wise, it’s still relatively small compared to the overall cost of applying and studying here. It’s probably a mix of factors—economic uncertainty, stricter immigration policies in the past, and possibly more students looking at alternative options like Canada, the UK, or even staying remote.
But even with those challenges, the U.S. still offers top-tier universities, a strong job market (especially in tech and healthcare), and long-term career opportunities. So overall, I’d say yes—it’s still very attractive, but students are becoming more strategic and cautious about the return on investment.
Totally noticed that too! Honestly, I think it’s a mix — the higher fee might’ve discouraged some people on the margin, but the bigger factor is probably the job market + fewer companies willing to sponsor these days.
That said, the US is still attractive overall (STEM OPT, career paths, etc), just maybe not as blindly attractive as before. People are way more strategic now. Curious what others think too 
The question I’m wondering is that do lots of people at home stopped coming to the US, or stopped going to any country for whatever it’s worth.
I think US is still attractive.
just the immigration policy is more and more restrict so make person feel it is hard to stay here.