US issues record 82,000 student visas in India

The US Embassy said on Thursday it had issued a record 82,000 student visas in India in the past year, with more Indian students going to study in the US than from any other country in the world.

This comes amid reports of long waiting periods for short-term business and tourism (B1/B2) visas to the US, with the earliest appointments available only in mid-2024.

Taking to microblogging platform Twitter, Patricia A. Lacina, Charge D’Affaires, US Embassy in India, said this shows the US remained the most sought-after destination for Indian students.


“This year, the US Mission in India has issued the highest number of student visas to date,” she said. "We celebrate the important contributions Indian students make to both our countries as they build lifelong connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships.”


Last year, too, the US had issued a record 62,000 visas as travel opened up after the pandemic. Covid-19 related closures had resulted in embassies and consulates not issuing student visas for a large part of 2020.

Over the last few years, China had the highest number of students in the US followed by India. The Embassy has been prioritising the issuance of student visas once it resumed operations to try and ensure their schedules are not impacted and that they can make it to the US in time for their academic year.

As per data released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this year, the number of Indian students in the US increased over 12% in 2021, while those from China, which accounts for the largest number, dropped by more than 8%.

In its annual report, USCIS said the Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact international student enrolment in the United States in 2021.