Record Number of Indian Student Visa Applications Expected in 2024

The US embassy in India expects a record number of student visa applications from here this year, similar to or even exceeding the all-time-high 140,000 visas issued last year. To handle the surge, the embassy has started interviewing students earlier than usual. The US embassy in India is gearing up to handle a significant increase in student visa applications from Indian students in 2024, following a record-breaking 140,000 visas issued last year.

To accommodate the surge in student applications from India, the embassy has started interviews earlier than usual. The US embassy has also reduced waiting times for visas, eliminating wait times in almost every category except for B1/B2 tourist visitor visas for first-time applicants, which have also been reduced by over 70% during the past year.

There are around 2,70,000 Indian students in the US, making up more than a quarter of the total international students there. The US Embassy has started interviewing students one month early. Normally, the US Embassy begins student interviews in June and continues through the end of August. However, this year, interviews started in May and will continue until the end of August to maximise the number of students.

The embassy held its eighth annual Student Visa Day, with consular officers from major cities interviewing applicants. Syed Mujtaba Andrabi, acting Consul General at the US Embassy in New Delhi, stated that the embassy aims to interview approximately 4,000 students by the end of the day. It [student visas] is one of our top priorities. Academic exchange between the two countries is one of the top priorities of this administration, and our Mission here. Last year, we issued a record number of student visas, numbering 1,40,000, which has been a record...And, we will continue to focus on this area, as we go forward during this year," Andrabi told PTI.

Regarding the expected rise in student visas in 2024, Andrabi mentioned, "It will be similar or in excess" to last year. The US government places a high priority on student visas, recognising the long-term benefits of people-to-people ties. US envoy Eric Garcetti emphasised, "People-to-people ties last a lifetime." The embassy highlighted the significant growth in Indian students choosing to study in the US over the past three years. In 2023, the US Mission to India issued more student visas than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined.

This growth reflects the ongoing commitment to prioritising students and facilitating their travel. Andrabi credited the "heroic effort" of consular offices for making it possible to meet student deadlines. "For instance, we normally start the student summer season in June, and it goes on till the end of August. This year we started in May, and it will continue to go through till the end of August, just to maximise the number of students.. give that opportunity to first-time qualified applicants to apply for interviews," Andrabi was quoted as saying by PTI.

US EMBASSY EFFORTS TO MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES To reduce visa waiting times, the embassy has eliminated wait times in almost every category, except for B1/B2 tourist visitor visas for first-time applicants. Even that wait time has been reduced by over 70 per cent during the past year. "Like those who went before, today's Indian students also represent tremendous potential -- the knowledge you will unlock, the new skills and opportunities you will experience, and the relationships you will build are worth the investment. Each student is an ambassador for India.

Together we are taking the US-India relationship forward," said Eric Garcetti. There are approximately 2,70,000 Indian students in the US, making up more than a quarter of the total international students. David Moyer, Cultural and Educational Affairs Counselor expressed enthusiasm for the demand and emphasised the embassy's support for students finding the right university match. "We are really excited about the enthusiasm and the demand we are seeing for student visas to go to the US," said Moyer, reported PTI.