US issues record-breaking 82,000 visas to Indian students in 2022

The United States Embassy and its consulates in four cities have issued a “record-breaking” 82,000 student visas in the first nine months of 2022 as the country remains one of the most favoured destinations for Indian students pursuing higher education.

Indian students have so far received more US student visas than any other country with the Embassy in New Delhi and four Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai processing 82,000 students visas in 2022 to date.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the US Consulate in Chennai said all missions prioritised the processing of student visa applications from May to August to ensure that as many qualified students as possible made it to their programs of study in time for scheduled start dates.

“We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year. This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education,” Patricia Lacina, Charge d’Affaires (CDA), said.

She said that the issuance of 82,000 student visas highlights the “important contributions” Indian students make to both countries as they build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships, working collectively to address current and future global challenges.

“We are thrilled to have done our part to help Indian students pursue a top-notch education. Hopefully, there are a lot of happy students and parents out there. International student mobility is central to U.S. diplomacy, and nowhere is the contribution of students bigger than in India,” Don Heflin, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, said

Indian students comprise nearly 20 per cent of all international students studying in the United States, with the Open Doors report in 2021 showing there were 167,582 students from India in the 2020-2021 academic year, the Consulate said.

The United States has remained open and welcoming to international students throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic.  In 2020, the U.S. government and U.S. higher-education institutions implemented measures to safely welcome international students in person, online, and via hybrid learning methods, guaranteeing that opportunities and resources to international students remained robust, the statement added.