Tighter US immigration policies under President Donald Trump are significantly impacting India’s marriage market, with families increasingly hesitant to arrange marriages with Indian citizens based in America due to visa uncertainty, according to matchmakers and prospective spouses.
Shifting Marriage Preferences
Sidhi Sharma, a 19-year-old medical student from Haryana, exemplifies the changing sentiment. “I had always dreamed of settling in the US after marriage,” she stated. “Trump has shut the door for me.”
Traditionally prized as marriage prospects, Non-Resident Indians in the US—numbering approximately 2.1 million—are facing declining interest from families concerned about potential job loss or immigration status changes.
Immigration Policy Impact
“Immigration policies may be written in Washington, but its ripple effects are seen at dinner tables of Indian families when they’re talking about marriages,” said Anuradha Gupta, founder of matchmaking service Vows For Eternity.
Trump’s H-1B visa overhaul particularly affects Indians, who accounted for 71 percent of those visas last year, with 75 percent issued to men in 2024, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data.
Matchmaker Observations
Vanaja Rao, managing director of Vanaja Rao Quick Marriages with nearly five decades of experience, noted the shift: “Up until last year, there was a lot of demand and craze for NRI suitors and men settled abroad. We’ve started to see a slowdown ever since Trump took over, and it intensified in the last six months.”
Some families are delaying weddings amid uncertainty. A 26-year-old Indian in Atlanta, Georgia, speaking anonymously, confirmed awareness of three postponed weddings due to policy changes.
“Every time there has been speculation about stopping or tightening the restrictions around H-1B visas and skilled-worker migration, there has always been a corresponding impact on the marriage market,” said Harshita Yalamarty, assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Market Adaptations amid US VISA row
Premium platform Knot.dating introduced a ‘US visa filter’ in September. CEO Jasveer Singh explained: “Families want to see the visa status of the suitor or match from abroad before proceeding further.”
Of 1,000 NRIs who signed up, 60 percent hold H-1B visas, with 81 percent being men. The platform requires male users to earn at least ₹5 million ($56,332) annually.
Alternative Destinations
Nikita Anand, founder of Wedding Tales Matrimony, reported clients increasingly seeking matches in Canada, UK, Europe, and the Middle East as alternatives to the US.
