Indians represent one out of every 10 U.S. visa seekers in the world, the U.S. Embassy said in New Delhi on January 29. A press note from the U.S. mission informed that the U.S. consular team in India processed a “record-smashing 1.4 million U.S. visas” during 2023.
“In 2023, the U.S. consular team in India issued over 1,40,000 student visas — more than in any other country in the world, setting a record for the third year in a row. Taken individually, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai now stand as the top four student visa processing posts in the world,” the statement mentioned.
The embassy said that as a result of the increased numbers, Indian students in the United States now constitute “more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students”. The press statement has come in the backdrop of growing demand from the Indian side about faster processing of U.S. visas.
The official statement from the U.S. side said employment visas remain “top priority” for the U.S. consular team in India, leading to the processing of over 3,80,000 employment visas for Indians and their family members in 2023.
“In 2024, a pilot programme will allow eligible H1B holders to renew their visas in the United States, further streamlining the process for this group,” the press statement announced, assuring that the U.S. is on track to further improve its visa processing facilities across India.
