US organises second annual Student Visa Day in various cities

NEW DELHI: To boost higher education ties between India and the United States, the US organised the second annual Student Visa Day in major cities in the country where 4000 youths applied for visas.

The US Embassy organised the event in the national capital while similar programmes were held at the Consulates General in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

"When students from different countries and cultural backgrounds study together, they exchange new ideas, break down stereotypes and gain knowledge of different cultures," Chargé D'Affaires Michael Pelletier said.

The event in the various cities was attended by more than 4000 Indian students who applied for visas to pursue higher education in the US.

Currently 1,32,000 Indian students are enrolled in institutions of higher education in the US, making them second largest group of foreign students in the country after China. According to statistics, US student visa applications are up by 29 per cent across India over the previous year.

Representatives from the Consular and Public Affairs sections and Education USA partner which is the official source of information on higher education in the US provided insights to students and answered their queries.