Surge in US Visas for Indian Students Hits New High in 2024

By Advay September 13, 2024
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Record numbers of visas will be issued to Indians travelling to the US for studies, as the country remains the top study destination for students from India in South Asia. The overall number of US study visas granted to Indian students has been increasing year on year, rising from over 96,000 in 2021 to 133,000 in 2022 and surpassing 140,000 in 2023.

A notable pattern has emerged regarding the number of students from Indian institutions studying in the United States, with the number of Indian students continuing to rise. “We are proud to say that every first-time student who sought a visa appointment was able to secure one—something that was not possible in the past,” said Brenda Soya, Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate General in Mumbai.

“In fact, Mumbai alone has conducted more student visa interviews than any other place in the world,” she added, while addressing the EducationUSA fair in Mumbai on 24 August.

On average, about a quarter of the international students studying in the United States are Indian. However, a significant proportion of these students are male, while female students make up just over a third of the total Indian student population in the US. This contrasts with a study conducted in India, which found that most women intending to study abroad prefer the US.

Despite this preference, there are still fewer female students than male students from India in the US, which remains an issue to be addressed. This disparity may be attributed to the fact that many female students are pursuing STEM fields, where there has traditionally been higher enrolment of male students, Soya noted.

“Yes, there are more women on US campuses, so if you are a woman from India, statistically, you are among the majority, and I hope this provides some comfort,” she said.

As pointed out by Shivam Gupta at MetaApply, the Indian market has evolved, with students becoming better informed about their potential achievements, the affordability of programmes, and the opportunity to study in fields such as data science and analytics.

Source: THE PIE NEWS

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