US Embassy in India hits record high, Issuing 140,000+ student visas

The US Embassy and its consulates in India have achieved an unprecedented milestone by issuing a record-breaking total of over 140,000 student visas between October 2022 and September 2023.

Announcing this significant accomplishment on Tuesday, the US State Department revealed, "Our embassy and consulates in India issued an all-time record of more than 140,000 student visas."

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The Department of State highlighted that, during the 2023 federal fiscal year, spanning from October 2022 through September 2023, they reached near-record levels by issuing over 10 million nonimmigrant visas globally. Notably, half of the US embassies and consulates adjudicated more nonimmigrant visas than ever before.

In addition to the noteworthy student visa achievement, the US embassy issued nearly eight million visitor visas for business and tourism, marking the highest figure since Fiscal Year 2015.

The statement emphasized that innovative solutions played a crucial role in these accomplishments, citing the expansion of interview waiver authorities. This initiative allows frequent travelers who meet stringent national security standards to renew their visas without the necessity of visiting an embassy or consulate.

The US State Department is also looking towards the future, exploring new technologies to streamline operations. One notable consideration is the option of domestic renewal in select visa categories.

In a related achievement, last month, the US Mission to India not only reached but exceeded the goal of processing one million non-immigrant visa applications in 2023.

Highlighting the robust travel relationship between the two countries, the statement mentioned that over 1.2 million Indians visited the US last year, representing over 10 percent of all visa applicants worldwide. This includes 20 percent of all student visa applicants and 65 percent 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 extra visa applicants processing on 'Super Saturday.'

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