NEW DELHI: 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.
The US has over 4,500 nationally and regionally accredited colleges and universities.
