US issued over 14,600 Indian student visas in 5 months: Report

Over 14,600 student visas (F1 type) were issued between January and May 14 this year across the five US consulates in India.

A record intake of Indian students is on the cards as per the US Consulate.

On June 26, fresh interview slots were opened for students who have applied for visa categories F, M, and J and who need to arrive at their campuses by mid-August.

According to a Times of India report, the highest student visas were issued from Delhi (8,021), followed by Mumbai (2,589) and Hyderabad (1,947). Till May 14 this year, 14,694 student visas were issued.

In 2019, the highest visa issuance came from Mumbai (1,514), followed by Delhi (1,465) and Chennai (1,290).

Also read: US Embassy in India opens interview portal for student visa applicants

While the issuance in Hyderabad saw a rise of 1,010 issued visas in three years, in Delhi the jump was high by 6,556. Both Chennai and Mumbai saw a marginal dip in the number of visas issued in the last three years.

“Despite Covid-19 disruptions, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed over 1.2 lakh student visa applications in 2021. There has not been a reduction in slots. In fact, we are expecting another record-breaking student visa season, so we have opened thousands of additional visa appointments and expanded interview waiver programs for students,” a US Consulate spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.

“In spite of those challenging circumstances (during the pandemic), the US Consulate General in Hyderabad did not close for even one day. Over time, we will return to pre-pandemic staffing and, plan to increase staffing after we will move to the new consulate building next year,” a spokesperson said.

In 2021, the Minister-counsellor for consular affairs at the US embassy in Delhi, Donald L Heflin informed students that the best chance for them to get their visas approved was to get through the first interview as the chances of second and third interviews were bleak. The minister, however, assured that students shall get more opportunities in the current year, reports said.

This year, US officials aim to issue more student visas than last year’s record which stood at 62,000.

The F1 visa, also called the Academic Student Visa, is mostly used by students who wish to attend an accredited college, university, high school, or any other academic institution.