Indian Students Lead As Largest Group In US Graduate Programs

In 2023, Indians were granted over 1.4 lakh student visas by the United States, surpassing the number issued to any other country. This achievement marked a record-breaking third consecutive year, as reported by the US Embassy and Consulates in India on Monday.

With this, Indian students now constitute the largest segment of international graduate students in the United States, comprising over a quarter of the total population of over one million foreign students enrolled in US educational institutions.

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Indians now one out of every 10 US visa applicants

The statement by the US Embassy and Consulates in India indicates that Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai currently rank as the four primary global hubs for processing student visas.

The US has thus retained its place among the top four destinations preferred by Indian students, the other three countries being Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The statement noted that Indians now represent one out of every 10 US visa applicants around the world.

Not just student visas, demand across all visa categories rose

Overall, US Embassy statement said that they processed 14 lakh visas in India during 2023, across all categories of visas issued to Indian students.

In fact, the demand for all visas was unprecedented, with a 60% increase in applications compared to 2022.

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Further, Visitor visas (B1/B2) have crossed 7 lakh - the second highest number of applications in the US Mission¡¯s history.

These figures corroborate with the recent Open Doors Report (ODR) which states that there has been a 35% increase in the number of Indian students moving to the US for education.

Change comes after liberalisation of the visa process for Indian citizens

Appointment wait time for visas in US dropped by 75%.

This comes after the US made efforts to reduce increasing wait times in the post-pandemic period, by announcing a significant liberalisation of the visa process for Indian citizens.

This involves broadening the scope of interview waivers across various categories, encompassing student visas, business and tourist visas, as well as skilled worker visas.

Why US is focusing on visa issuance to Indian students

The focus on visa issuance to Indian students by the US is driven by the recent surge in the number of Indian students choosing the US for their studies.

For the first time since 2009-10, India has surpassed China as the leading source of international graduate students in the United States. This shift underscores the significance of ensuring a smooth visa process for Indian students.

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Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services has emphasized in November of last year, "We specifically made sure that we saw the students who were applying coming out of India. India is now the largest source country for foreign students in the United States, as well as many other visa categories. That's a very important one for us."

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