New Delhi - The US Embassy and its consulates in India have achieved a historic milestone by granting a record-breaking number of over 140,000 student visas between October 2022 and September 2023. The US State Department made the announcement on Tuesday, highlighting this significant accomplishment.
During the 2023 federal fiscal year, spanning from October 2022 to September 2023, the Department of State globally issued a near-record level of nonimmigrant visas, surpassing 10 million. Half of the US embassies and consulates adjudicated more nonimmigrant visas than ever before.
Furthermore, the US embassy issued nearly eight million visitor visas for business and tourism, marking the highest figure since 2015. Additionally, over 600,000 student visas were issued by the US embassy and consulates, marking the highest count since Fiscal Year 2017.
The statement attributed these remarkable achievements to innovative solutions, including the expansion of interview waiver authorities. This allows frequent travelers meeting strict national security standards to renew their visas without visiting an embassy or consulate.
Looking ahead, the US State Department expressed plans to explore new technologies to streamline operations, such as the possibility of domestic renewal in select visa categories.
In a separate development, the US Mission to India surpassed its goal of processing one million non-immigrant visa applications in 2023 last month. The US Embassy and Consulates highlighted that over 1.2 million Indians visited the US last year, solidifying it as one of the most robust travel relationships globally.
Indians now constitute over 10% of all visa applicants worldwide, including 20% of all student visa applicants and 65% of all H&L-category (employment) visa applicants.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, acknowledging the "unprecedented demand" for US visitor visas among Indians, visited the US mission in the national capital earlier this month. Garcetti served as a special guest during the busy 'Super Saturday,' assisting with the surge in visa applications.