US Issues Record 82,000 Student Visas To Indians, Highest By Any Country In 2022
The United States has issued a record-breaking 82,000 student visas in 2022 to Indians, higher than any other country according to an official statement.
According to the US Mission, the 82,000 Indian students who were granted visas this year accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all international students studying in the United States.
More Indian got student visas than Chinese
"We are happy to see so many students were able to receive visas and reach their universities after the delays caused in previous years by the COVID-19 pandemic. We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year," US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina said on September 6.
According to data by the US State Department,?from January to July 2022 Chinese students had received 46,145 F1 visas, much lower than Indians.
The statement further said that the US Embassy in New Delhi and four Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai 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.
"This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education. It also highlights the important contributions Indian students make to both our 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," Charge d'Affaires said further.
1.3 lakh student left India till March
According to the Open Doors report, 2021 there were 167,582 students from India in the 2020-2021 academic year.
In April this year, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan told Rajya Sabha that as on March 20, a total of 1,33,135 Indian students went abroad for higher studies in 2022.
The number stood at 4,44,553 students in 2021 and 2,59,655 in 2020 as per the data from the Bureau of Immigration (BoI).
Where are Indian students going?
The US, Canada, the UK and Australia were among the most preferred countries for Indian students for higher studies.
Since 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries had cut down on the number of student visas?citing to international travel and other restrictions.
With the pandemic subsiding, many more higher studies aspirants are likely to get their applications accepted this year.?
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