The American embassy in India announced on Monday that they have granted a record number of student visas this summer—more than 90,000 in total. The distribution of the visas over the months of June, July, and August marked an important turning point in the history of educational interaction between the US and India.
“This summer almost one in four student visas worldwide was issued right here in India! Congratulations and best wishes to all the students who have chosen the United States to make their higher education goals a reality! That’s a wrap! With teamwork and innovation, we ensured that all qualified applicants reached their programs on time,” the embassy shared a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Given the US Mission’s earlier forecast at the beginning of this year’s student visa application season, the announcement is not unexpected. The acting minister counsellor for consular affairs in India, Brendan Mullarkey, stressed in June that “Last year, a record-breaking 125,000 Indians were issued student visas, which is more than were issued to any other nationality.”
With over 90,000 student visas granted during the summer, the US appears poised to set a new record soon. More than 200,000 Indian students are enrolled in American universities during the current academic year, making up more than 20% of all current foreign students in the country.
Following the bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi earlier this month, India and the US have also decided to collaborate for a virtual institute as part of ongoing efforts to partner in the education sector. This decision was made public through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
People with knowledge of the plans informed HT that the India-US Global Challenges Institute will operate virtually and carry out research in developing fields on the campuses of partner higher education institutions from both nations.
The US also provides ‘EducationUSA,’ a free government-sponsored consulting service that provides accurate and thorough information on admission and visa procedures, for individuals who are interested in furthering their studies there. Eight advising center’s spread across India are operated by EducationUSA, which represents approved US colleges and universities. For additional information, students can go to educationusa.state.gov or follow @educationUSAIndia on Facebook and Instagram.
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Source: HT
