Published: Published Date – 10:39 PM, Sat – 21 May 22
Hyderabad: June 7th is Student Visa Day at the US Embassy and Consulates in India, including the US Consulate General in Hyderabad. It’s a day totally devoted to student visa applicants.
In anticipation of Student Visa Day, we will spend a few weeks focusing on student visa issues.
We place an immense value on international students and their contributions to furthering people-to-people ties, fostering academic excellence and strengthening our economies through advanced research and cutting-edge technologies.
This is particularly true for Indian students. In fact, Indians are the second largest group of international students in the United States – after China – and we would like to see that number grow.
Of course, one of the most important steps to studying in the United States is obtaining a student visa. The US Mission to India understands how critical a timely visa interview is for Indians who wish to attend universities in the United States, which is why we continue to prioritise students for visa interviews.
In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, we interviewed over 120,000 students in 2021 – making 2021 one of our biggest years ever. And we are expecting another record-breaking student season this summer. In anticipation, we have opened thousands of additional visa appointments and expanded our interview waiver options for students.
Under new visa guidelines, students who have previously held any US visa can apply using the dropbox service in lieu of an in-person interview. Furthermore, our visa adjudicators will focus first and foremost on student visas over the next three months.
These are just two of many steps we are taking to facilitate travel for as many qualified student applicants as possible and make 2022 a year of recovery. And what a great way to also highlight the 75th anniversary of US-Indian relations!
Next week, we’ll continue our focus on student visas with a deep dive into the basic qualifications we look for in student visa applications.
— US Consulate General Hyderabad
