June 13 :
On Thursday, the 8th annual Student Visa Day, the Indian consular staff evaluated 3,900 applicants for student visas, revealing a surge in demand for student visas at the US Mission to India
Consular Team India conducted interviews with 3,900 individuals seeking student visas on June 13, 2024, as part of the 8th annual Student Visa Day. In a press release, the US Embassy in India stated that their Mission India organised robust programming for Student Visa Day. During this event, members of the Mission and colleagues from Education USA interact with applicants to share information about studying in the US, highlighting the US's strong commitment to higher education and the strengthening educational ties between the US and India.
U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti extended his warmest greetings to all Indian students and remarked that they are living ambassadors for India and are helping to advance ties between the two countries. The presence of international students on American campuses is a testament to the immense achievement that each one represents. These students have spent years studying and working tirelessly to achieve academic distinction. Just like previous generations, today's Indian students hold immense promise; the wisdom you'll gain, the chances you'll seize, and the connections you'll make will be well worth the effort. In India, every student represents their country. The US-India relationship is progressing thanks to our combined efforts! That was what Garcetti said.
Student Visa Day is an excellent opportunity to commemorate the two nations' interdependence, according to David Moyer, the US Embassy's Cultural and Educational Affairs Consular.
Many Indian students study in the United States, and this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the relationship between the two countries on Student Visa Day. The consulate team's extraordinary efforts to accommodate the demand, as well as the immense passion shown by Indian students for the United States, are being commemorated here, Moyer said.
There are 4,500 colleges and institutions in the United States; therefore, it might be difficult for prospective students to choose the best one for their academic interests, he explained when asked how they can find reliable information. As a result, we established Education USA, a free consultancy service. The Consular expressed their intention to promote the study in the US to a wider audience of female applicants.
Just one-third of Indian students enrolled at American universities are female, therefore we'd love to see more female applicants. More bounce would be great so that we can divide the bill evenly, he said. According to Nazima H. Razick, who is special assistant to the minister-counselor for consumer affairs, scholarly exchanges between India and the United States date back many decades. Celebrate the rich history of India-US relations while interviewing the biggest number of students on student visa day with the Indian counsellor team. We also talk about how to live and study on American university campuses," she said.
Before their visa interviews, he stressed the importance of students knowing why they want to study in the United States and cautioned them against just rehearsing the same questions. It is important for students to know why they are investing so much time and money into studying in the United States. Prior to beginning their studies in the United States, individuals must have a clear idea of what they hope to accomplish and how they intend to pay for it. It is not a good idea to recite prepared responses to the interviewer from memory. Answering the question honestly and from a place of comfort is important. The US consular advised using one's own terminology.
If you're anxious, the greatest thing you can do is practise, not cram for the test. She went on to say that there is a cultural difference in the importance of making eye contact while speaking to someone; students in India are shy about doing so, whereas Americans consider it crucial.
Furthermore, 1,40,000 student visas were given from India last year, according to the US Consular. The fact that one out of four Indian students in the United States is a positive development makes us delighted. In order to meet this increasing demand, our consulate personnel across India are working tirelessly. In addition to beginning the summer student season two weeks early and doing super Saturday interviews, she assured everyone that they were ready to satisfy demand.
The US consular expressed their dedication to reducing wait times for all categories, addressing the issue of high wait periods experienced by students. We encourage students to apply at any time of year and typically there is no wait time. For the first-time B1 and B2 visitor applicant group, we have only succeeded in reducing the wait time by 70%. There has been a meteoric rise in the last three years in the number of Indian students attending American universities. The number of student visas issued by the US Mission to India in 2023 exceeded that of 2018, 2019, and 2020 put together.
"This unprecedented growth reflects the ongoing commitment by the US Government to prioritise students and to facilitate their travel, even as the Mission met a 400 per cent rise in demand for all other visas between 2021 and 2023," according to the release from the embassy.
The US Embassy and Consulates in India have extended the student visa season for 2024 in anticipation of a continuous surge in applications from Indian nationals seeking student visas. "The US remains the number one higher education destination for Indian students, with studies showing 69 per cent of Indian students prefer a US education to any other destination," according to the report.
