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In 2023, the United States issued over 140,000 student visas to Indian students, marking a record for the third consecutive year. According to figures released by the United States (US) Embassy and Consulates in India on Monday, Indian students have become the largest group of international graduate students in the US, constituting more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students studying in the country.
As the demand for international education grows among Indian students, the US remains a top choice, alongside Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The figures reveal that the US issued more student visas to Indians in 2023 than any other country. The US embassy added that Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai are the top four "student visa processing posts in the world".
"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 United States," the statement from the US Embassy in India read.
Visitor visas makeup highest number of US applications
Visitor visas (B1/B2) represent the second-highest number of applications in the history of the US Mission, totalling over 700,000.
1.4 million US visas processed in India in 2023
In addition to student visas, the US Embassy has processed a total of 1.4 million visas in India in 2023. The statement noted a 60 per cent increase in visa applications compared to 2022, with Indians representing one out of every 10 US visa applicants worldwide.
US Embassy reduces appointment time, opens new visa-processing facilities
The US had previously announced significant liberalisation of the visa process for Indian citizens in late 2022, expanding interview waivers in various categories, including student visas, business and tourist visas, and skilled worker visas.
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The US Embassy has taken many steps to reduce appointment times through better staffing to meet the "unprecedented" visa demand in India. The embassy boasts of having reduced appointment wait time by 75 per cent, from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days nationwide for visitor visas.
Additionally, the US Mission opened a new $340-million facility in Hyderabad last March and announced the opening of two new consulates in Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
