“The United States Embassy in India has achieved an exceptional milestone, issuing a staggering 90,000 student visas during the summer months of July and August. This accomplishment signifies that nearly one in four US student visas granted globally originate from India.
In a congratulatory message, the US Embassy in India extended its best wishes to all the aspiring students who have selected the United States as their destination for higher education. They expressed their satisfaction with a job well done, crediting teamwork and innovative solutions that ensured timely processing for all qualified applicants.
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, recently shared insights into the improvements made in visa processing. He highlighted that the wait time for initial tourist visa interviews has been significantly reduced, exceeding a 50 percent reduction. Ambassador Garcetti also revealed their ambitious goal for 2023: to process a minimum of one million visas. Speaking at IIT Delhi, he emphasized the remarkable progress in visa processing, stating, “We are already making strides in this direction, currently processing more visas faster than ever in the US Mission in India’s history. We have set a target to process at least one million visas in 2023, and we are already more than halfway there.”
The United States and India have jointly implemented initiatives aimed at streamlining the visa process. During a visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a pivotal change, eliminating the need for Indian professionals to leave the country for H-1B visa renewals. As part of this people-to-people initiative, US authorities introduced ‘in-country’ renewable H-1B visas.
In addition to these efforts, it was announced that the United States will establish new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India is set to open a new consulate in Seattle this year. Furthermore, plans are in motion to establish Indian Consulates in two more US cities, further strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations.”
