After issuing a record 140,000 student visas to Indian students last year, the US consular team in India is prepared for a similar or higher number of applications in 2024. The US Mission in India recently held its eighth annual Student Visa Day across multiple cities, interviewing approximately 4,000 students in a day.
American universities continue to attract a significant number of Indian students, with the US consular team in India issuing more student visas in 2023 than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined. This growth is attributed to the US government’s prioritization of student visas and the commitment to facilitate student travel despite increased demand for other visa categories.
Syed Mujtaba Andrabi, Acting Consul General at the US Embassy in New Delhi, emphasized the importance of academic exchanges and the mission’s dedication to maximizing student visa issuance. Efforts to reduce visa wait times have also been successful, with significant improvements across various categories.
David Moyer, Cultural and Educational Affairs Counselor at the US Embassy, highlighted the increasing number of Indian students in the US, currently over 270,000, making up more than a quarter of the total international student population. The embassy encourages students to explore a wide range of accredited universities in the US.
