New Delhi: The US Embassy in India has issued a record 90,000 student visas this summer (July-August). With this, almost one in four student visas issued worldwide is issued in India.
“The US Mission in India is pleased to announce that we issued a record number of more than 90,000 student visas this summer – June, July and August,” the US Embassy in India said in a post on social media . “Nearly one in four student visas worldwide were issued in India this summer.”
The US Embassy then congratulated the students who have chosen the United States to pursue their higher education goals.
Recently, United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said that for the first time the waiting time for tourist visa interviews has been reduced by 50 percent and at least one million visas are to be issued in 2023.
Speaking at IIT Delhi, Garcetti highlighted the progress made in visa processing and said that the US Mission in India is currently processing visas faster than ever before.
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Addressing the audience at IIT Delhi, Garcetti said, “We are already doing this. We are currently processing visas faster than the US missions in India. We have set a goal for ourselves to perform the minimum number of procedures. “The goal is to issue one million visas in 2023 and we are already more than halfway to that goal.”
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‘Efforts to streamline the visa process’
India and America have taken several initiatives to streamline the visa process. Earlier during his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Indian professionals will no longer need to leave the US for renewal of their H-1B visas.
After this, United States officials announced that they are working to streamline the H-1B visa renewal process.
Along with this, PM Modi had also announced that the United States will open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, India is going to open a new consulate in Seattle this year. Apart from this, Indian Consulates will be opened in 2 more cities of America.
Earlier in June, while speaking at the US Embassy, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had said that one out of every five student visas is issued in India.
He had said, “In 2022, one out of every 5 American students was issued a visa to an Indian.”
Garcetti said, “So Indians have not only received education in the United States, but have also honed their talents in the United States for decades. “Today we are on track to process the highest number of visa applications in our history.”
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