More than 82,000 Indians have got US student visas so far this year.
The US mission in India said it was a “record number”.
The US embassy in New Delhi and four consulates in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai prioritised the processing of student visa applications from May to August to ensure that as many qualified students as possible made it to their programmes in time.
“We are happy to see so many students were able to receive visas and reach their universities after the delays caused in previous years by the Covid-19 pandemic. We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year,” said US Charge d’Affaires Patricia Lacina.
“This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education,” she said.
Indian students total nearly 20 per cent of all international students studying in the US.
A 2021 report showed there were 1,67,582 students from India in the US in the 2020-21academic year.
“Students seeking assistance with studying in the United States should download the Education USA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices. At the click of a button, the app provides the latest information about the college application process and is a quick and easy first step to planning higher education in the United States,” the embassy said in a statement.
