Study Abroad: Indian students constitute 25% foreign graduates in United States, says US Embassy

NEW DELHI: The United States of America (USA) Embassy and Consulate in India said it has processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023. More than 1,40,000 visas were issued to Indian students – more than in any other country in 2023 – setting a record for the third year in a row, the US Embassy said.

Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai now stand as the top four US student visa processing posts around the globe. Indian students have become the largest group of international graduate students in the United States and make up more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students studying in the US, an embassy press release said.

Appointment time dips 75%

It added that the US Consular Team in India processed the most number of visas last year, bringing down visitor visa appointment wait times by 75%. “Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60% increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world,” the US Embassy said.

Also read US issued record 1,40,000 visas to Indian students last year: Official

It read that processing of US employment visas is the priority. Consular Team India consolidated the most petition-based visa processing in Chennai and Hyderabad to increase efficiency. The step led to the processing of over 3,80,000 employment visas for Indians and their family members in 2023.

In 2024, a pilot program will allow eligible H1B holders to renew their visas in the United States, further streamlining the process for Indians who have applied for employment visas. Visitor visas (B1/B2) represented the second highest number of applications, over 7,00,000, in the US Mission’s history, the press release read.