One in every five student visas issued by US was for Indians: US envoy

New Delhi, June 7: More Indians throng the United States as students than students from any other country, said US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti while speaking at the US Embassy in India and also highlighted the strength of India and the United States relationship.

Notably, the US Mission in India held its 7th Annual Student Visa Day countrywide with consular officers interviewing Indian Student Visa applications.

"It was so inspiring to see the work of this mission and to feel the strength of the United States and India relationship. More Indians come to the United States as students than students from any other country. Last year, India became number 1 and I don't see that changing ahead in the future. I see that relationship at the very top of how we articulate our values of welcoming not just Americans to higher education but to opening that door to people worldwide," the envoy remarked.

"One out of every 5 US students visa was issued here in India in 2022. One out of five in the world which is more than the proportion of the Indian population in the world. So, Indians have not only pursued an education in the United States but for decades have shown their excellence in the United States and we are on track to process the highest number of visa applications in our history," Garcetti further said.

Today was the seventh annual student visa day in India, with consulate officers from New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewing around 3500 Indian student visa applicants.

Indian students account for more than 21% of all international students in the United States. Almost 200,000 Indian students studied in the United States during the year 2021-2022.

Envoy Garcetti congratulated the students on their decision to study in the United States, adding to the growing number of Indian students who have opted to study in the country.

Student Visa Day celebrates the long-standing ties between the United States and India in higher education. More than 200,000 Indian students are studying at U.S. academic institutions this year, accounting for more than 20% of all overseas students in the country.

Approximately 35% of Indian students on F1 visas in the United States are participating in Optional Practical Training.

In 2022, Indians received the most number of H&L employment visas (65%) and F1 student visas (17.5%) worldwide. Over 1.2 million Indians visited the United States in 2022, making them one of the greatest groups of overseas tourists to the country.

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