US Issued a Record 90,000 Student Visas in India in Last Three Months: Embassy

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US Embassy in New Delhi sets record with 90,000 student visas issued in 3 months, reducing wait times, aiming for one million visas in 2023

The US embassy in New Delhi on Monday said that it has issued a record 90,000 student visas in India in the last three months, which is one in four student visas issued worldwide.

“The U.S. Mission in India is pleased to announce that we issued a record number – over 90,000 – of student visas this Summer/ in June, July, and August. This summer almost one in four student visas worldwide was issued right here in India! Congratulations and best wishes to all the students who have chosen the United States to make their higher education goals a reality! That’s a wrap! With teamwork and innovation, we ensured that all qualified applicants reached their programs on time,” the US mission in New Delhi said in a post on X.

The U.S. Mission in India is pleased to announce that we issued a record number – over 90,000 – of student visas this Summer/ in June, July, and August. This summer almost one in four student visas worldwide was issued right here in India! Congratulations and best wishes to all…— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) September 25, 2023

After the post-pandemic delays in visas, the Biden administration reportedly took several steps to hasten the process. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent US visit, he announced that Indian professionals will no longer need to leave America for the renewal of their H-1B visas.

During a State Visit earlier this year, PM Modi and President Joe Biden affirmed that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, and other travelers between the US and India helps enhance bilateral economic and technological partnership. While acknowledging the key steps taken to augment the processing of visa applications, both leaders noted the pressing need to expedite this process.

In June, US envoy to India Eric Garcetti said that the mission is currently processing visas faster than ever before. He said that the wait time for first-time tourist visa interviews has been reduced by more than 50 percent but the goal for 2023 is to process at least one million visas.

“We’re already doing this. We’re currently processing more visas, faster, than the US Mission in India ever has before. We have set a goal for ourselves to process at least a million visas in 2023, and we’re already more than halfway towards reaching that goal,” the US ambassador was quoted as saying by ANI.