US to Issue More Than 62,000 Student Visas to Indians in 2022

US Chargé d’Affaires Patricia A. Lacina has stated that the country is expecting to surpass the previous year’s record of visa issuance to Indian students. Last year, a total of 62,000 US student visas were granted to Indians. This year, the US Embassy hopes to surpass that number as it has already made available 100,000 appointments for student visas. 

Speaking on Student Visa Day at the US Embassy, this week, Lacina said, “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Mission India issued more student visas in 2021 than ever before. This summer we are expecting another record-breaking student season.”

“The United States places an immense value on international students and their rich contributions to our academic institutions and communities. This is particularly true in India. Indians are the second-largest group of international students in the United States,” Lacina said.

On the sixth annual Student Visa Day organized by the US Mission, the Consular officers at the US Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewed more than 2,500 Indian student visa applicants. 

The US officials congratulated visa recipients as they prepared themselves for studying in the United States. Lacina added that “Today, we recognize the many contributions of Indian students in shaping the US-India relationship, which is celebrating 75 years of achievement,

Meanwhile, the Embassy informed in a statement, “This year, more than 200,000 Indian students are studying at US academic institutions, representing more than 20% of international students currently in the United States”.