A large number of Indian students going to the US this year for higher education are from the eastern region, including the northeast, according to Melinda Pavek, the US consul in Kolkata.
"Thousands of students from the states in this region, including the northeast, would be part of the biggest delegation of Indian students to the US this year," Pavek was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Her remarks came on the 8th Annual Student Visa Day in Kolkata on Thursday.
There are around 2,70,000 Indian students in the US, making up more than a quarter of the total international students there.
In 2023, the US embassy issued a record-breaking 140,000 student visas. In 2024, to accommodate the expected surge in student applications from India, the embassy has started interviews earlier than usual.
Pavek shared this information about the domination of Eastern region students for student visas during the 8th Annual Student Visa Day on Thursday, reported PTI.
The top four student visa processing posts worldwide in 2023 were all in India, with more visas issued than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined.
"The number of Indians who choose to study in the United States has increased significantly in the past three years. In 2023, the US Mission to India issued more student visas than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined," stated the US Embassy and Consulate in India.
"This unprecedented growth reflects the ongoing commitment by the US Government to prioritise students and to facilitate their travel, even as the Mission met a 400% rise in demand for all other visas between 2021 and 2023," it added.
The US Embassy and Consulates in India expect a continued rise in student visa applications from India and have extended the student visa season for 2024 to accommodate this increasing demand.
To accommodate the surge in student applications from India, the embassy has started interviews earlier than usual.
Additionally, the US embassy has reduced the waiting time for visas by over 70% during the past year.
"Students are a priority for the US," Pavek emphasised. However, she also cautioned, "I would hate the prospect of a student mortgaging a family fortune to study in an Ivy League school. The emphasis should be rather on the degree," reported PTI.
Addressing recent reports of Indian students being deported from the US due to visa issues, Pavek reassured that the US does not intend to turn away any "genuine students".
In a bid to enhance English language skills among Indians, the US consulate is providing specialised communication training to women entrepreneurs from marginalised communities.
