In a historic achievement, the US Embassy in India has granted an unprecedented 90,000 student visas over the summer months of July and August, setting a remarkable milestone in international student mobility. This feat signifies that nearly one in four student visas issued globally during this period was provided to Indian students.
The US Embassy in India proudly shared this achievement on their official social media account, stating, “The US Mission in India is pleased to announce that we issued a record number – over 90,000 – of student visas this Summer/ in June, July, and August. This summer almost one in four student visas worldwide was issued right here in India!”
The embassy extended warm congratulations to the ambitious students who have chosen the United States as the destination to pursue their higher education goals.
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, recently reported significant progress in visa processing, particularly noting that the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews has been reduced by over 50 percent. He emphasized that the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas.
Addressing the audience at IIT Delhi, Garcetti stated, “We’re currently processing more visas, faster, than the US Mission in India ever has before. We have set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal.”
Both India and the United States have taken strategic measures to streamline the visa application process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during his US visit that Indian professionals would no longer need to leave America for H-1B visa renewals. ‘In-country’ renewable H-1B visas were introduced as part of the initiative to facilitate the renewal process.
Additionally, PM Modi revealed plans for the United States to establish new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. In a reciprocal move, India is poised to inaugurate a new consulate in Seattle this year, with plans to open consulates in two more American cities.
Speaking at the US embassy in June, Ambassador Garcetti highlighted India’s pivotal role in the surge of US student visa applications, noting, “One out of every 5 US student visas was issued here in India in 2022. One out of five in the world, which is more than the proportion of the Indian population in the world.”
This remarkable milestone not only reflects the growing educational ties between India and the United States but also underscores the enduring pursuit of excellence by Indian students in the US educational landscape.
