The US Embassy and Consulates in India handled 1.4 million visas in 2023. Appointment wait times decreased by 75% despite an extraordinary increase in demand for visas across all classes. Indians now account for one out of every 10 US visa applications worldwide.
Over the last year, the US government has seen a 60% rise in applications, with a three-month personnel augmentation in Mumbai to fulfill demand. For the third year in a row, New Delhi established a student visa record by approving over 140,000 such documents in 2023.
“Visitor visas (B1/B2) have recovered to constitute the second greatest number of applications in the history of the US Mission, totaling over 700,000. Process improvements and staffing investments have reduced the average appointment wait time for visitor visas from 1,000 days to 250 days across the country,” according to an official release from the US Embassy.
Top Countries Preferred by Indian Students:
Canada– With over 3 lakh Indian students, Canada is one of the top countries with Indian students, accounting for 34% of the total population. The number of students flying to Canada has risen throughout the years, and it only decreased during the pandemic.
United Kingdom– Another popular study location for Indian students, whose numbers have lately surged. In 2019, the country issued 34,261 visas, and by 2022, the number had risen to 1.4 lakh.
The country also offers post-study work visas, which allow Indian students to work even after they have completed their studies; however, recent reports from the country indicate that the government is considering ending the visa arrangement.
United States– According to the Open Doors 2022 Report, there was an almost 20% increase in the number of Indian students studying in the United States for the academic year 2021-2022, with 199,182 enrolled. After graduation, the majority of these Indian students go to work for American technology companies.
Ukraine– Another major location for Indians to study medicine, although since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the number of students enrolling in Ukrainian universities is projected to drop down.
China– Despite their hostile relations, China is another prominent destination for medical training, with thousands of Indian students studying there.
