Oct 25, 2023
The US has surpassed its projected goal of granting a record-breaking number of a million visas. As per the latest updates, the US has processed over one million Indian visas in 2023. Among these figures, over 100,000 visas were student visas. Thus, making Indians hold and represent over 10% of all US visa applicants worldwide. This includes 20% of student visa applications.
Furthermore, the US has issued a notable number of 102,655 F-1 visas to Indians till August 2023. Amongst this, 84,894 visas were issued in June, July, and August for the upcoming academic year to study in USA. The majority of F-1 visas were granted in June and are estimated to be 40,224 as per the figures released by the US State Department.
Post the pandemic, the US embassies were struggling to keep up with the visa inflow and the services were hampered due to a massive shortage of staff and the closure of some consulates. This created a huge backlog of visa applications and eventually led to longer waiting times for applicants. This gap in visa processing had immediate effects on universities recruiting international students as well.
To curb all these challenges, the US created a goal of issuing 1 million visas to Indians in this year. Working towards this goal, the country employed more staff, expanded operations hours, granted interview waivers, and opened a new consulate in Hyderabad.
All the measures yielded fruitful results and the US surpassed its estimated goal in 2023 way before the year's end. India has been one of the top source markets for student visas and these strategies for improved visa processing have strengthened the partnerships between the two countries.
So, if you are planning to pursue your higher education abroad and the US is your preferred destination, then you must get started with your university applications. While shortlisting and applying to universities may seem to be a huge task, seeking expert guidance can significantly reduce your burden.
Reach out to our team of experts at KC Overseas Education to get started with your process of studying abroad!