US issues record 140,000 visas to Indian students in a year
'Our embassy and consulates in India issued an all-time record of more than 140,000 student visas,' said the US State Department
- Nov 29, 2023,
- Updated Nov 29, 2023 12:38 PM IST
The US State Department revealed on Tuesday that the US Embassy and its consulates in India achieved a historic milestone by issuing over 140,000 student visas between October 2022 and September 2023, marking an all-time record.
According to a statement by the US State Department, the embassy and consulates in India played a significant role in facilitating educational opportunities for international students. The department reported, "From October 2022 through September 2023 (the 2023 federal fiscal year), the Department of State issued a near-record level of nonimmigrant visas of more than 10 million globally."
Half of the US embassies and consulates worldwide experienced a surge in non-immigrant visa issuances, reaching unprecedented levels. The statement also highlighted that the US embassy in India granted nearly 8 million visitor visas for business and tourism, surpassing numbers recorded in any fiscal year since 2015.
In the realm of student visas, the US embassy and consulates in India collectively issued over 600,000 student visas during the mentioned period, marking the highest figure since the 2017 fiscal year.
The US State Department attributed these achievements to innovative measures taken by the embassy. The implementation of expanded interview waiver authorities played a crucial role, allowing frequent travelers who meet strict national security standards to renew their visas without the need for an in-person visit to the embassy or consulate.
"Looking to the future, we are exploring new technologies to assess opportunities to streamline operations, such as the option of domestic renewal in select visa categories," the statement added.
Notably, in the previous year, the US Embassy and Consulates in India reported that over 1.2 million Indians visited the United States, establishing one of the most robust travel relationships between two countries globally.
"Indians now represent over 10 per cent of all visa applicants worldwide, including 20 per cent of all student visa applicants and 65 per cent of all H&L-category (employment) visa applicants. The United States welcomes this growth," the statement affirmed.
Addressing the unprecedented demand for US visitor visas among Indians, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti visited the US mission in Delhi earlier this month to assess and manage the situation.
The US State Department revealed on Tuesday that the US Embassy and its consulates in India achieved a historic milestone by issuing over 140,000 student visas between October 2022 and September 2023, marking an all-time record.
According to a statement by the US State Department, the embassy and consulates in India played a significant role in facilitating educational opportunities for international students. The department reported, "From October 2022 through September 2023 (the 2023 federal fiscal year), the Department of State issued a near-record level of nonimmigrant visas of more than 10 million globally."
Half of the US embassies and consulates worldwide experienced a surge in non-immigrant visa issuances, reaching unprecedented levels. The statement also highlighted that the US embassy in India granted nearly 8 million visitor visas for business and tourism, surpassing numbers recorded in any fiscal year since 2015.
In the realm of student visas, the US embassy and consulates in India collectively issued over 600,000 student visas during the mentioned period, marking the highest figure since the 2017 fiscal year.
The US State Department attributed these achievements to innovative measures taken by the embassy. The implementation of expanded interview waiver authorities played a crucial role, allowing frequent travelers who meet strict national security standards to renew their visas without the need for an in-person visit to the embassy or consulate.
"Looking to the future, we are exploring new technologies to assess opportunities to streamline operations, such as the option of domestic renewal in select visa categories," the statement added.
Notably, in the previous year, the US Embassy and Consulates in India reported that over 1.2 million Indians visited the United States, establishing one of the most robust travel relationships between two countries globally.
"Indians now represent over 10 per cent of all visa applicants worldwide, including 20 per cent of all student visa applicants and 65 per cent of all H&L-category (employment) visa applicants. The United States welcomes this growth," the statement affirmed.
Addressing the unprecedented demand for US visitor visas among Indians, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti visited the US mission in Delhi earlier this month to assess and manage the situation.