US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, has praised consular teams in the cities of Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi for their exceptional efforts in processing a record number of Indian student visa applications. In a tweet, Garcetti stated that the consular teams have processed the highest number of student visa applications globally in 2022. The announcement comes after the US Mission in India held its seventh annual Student Visa Day, with Consular Officers from the five states interviewing almost 3,500 Indian student visa applicants.
Education is fundamental to the US-India partnership, and according to Garcetti, India contributes to almost one in five US student visas issued globally. In 2023, tens of thousands of student visa appointments will be released for the months of July and August, in addition to last year’s record-breaking 125,000 Indians that were issued student visas, more than any other nationality.
In 2022, Indians were issued the highest numbers of H&L employment visas (65%) and F1 student visas (17.5%) worldwide. This year alone, over 200,000 Indian students are studying at academic institutions in the United States, representing over 20% of international students currently in America. Education ties between the two countries continue to strengthen, and the processing of a record number of student visa applications further enhances the partnership.
