NEW YORK: US approves record number of Indian student visa applications in 2021

NEW YORK: The United States has approved a
record number of Indian student visa applications in 2021, despite the ongoing
Covid-19 pandemic.
“Through these efforts, more than 55,000 students and exchange visitors
are boarding planes to study in the United States, and more students are being
approved every day. The US Mission looks forward to another great student
season as it facilitates study for spring semester students over the coming few
months,” as the US mission in India said in a statement.

Ambassador Atul Keshap, Chargé
d’Affaires at the US Embassy in New Delhi said, “Studying in the United States
is a unique and often life-changing experience for Indian students, granting
fresh, global perspectives and frequently leading to invaluable career
opportunities. Indian students also enrich US society, achieve high levels of
academic success, and deepen the bonds of friendship between our countries. The
many hard-working women and men of the US mission to India are proud to
facilitate their travel and study.”

The Mission said that the
Covid-19 pandemic had created tremendous logistical challenges for the its
consular teams.

Embassies and consulates typically begin
interviewing fall semester students in May, but the second wave of the pandemic
forced the mission to delay the commencement of its student visa season by two
months. In July, after the situation improved, the consular teams worked not
only to match, but surpass, their pre-Covid workload.