US issued record-high 140,000 visas to Indian students in last year

Indians accounted for almost a quarter of the 600,000 student visas issued by the US from October 2022 to September 2023, when the State Department also issued more than 10.4 million non-immigrant visas globally.

The US also issued nearly eight million visitor visas for business and tourism, more than in any American fiscal year since 2016. These figures were possible due to innovative solutions, such as expanding interview waiver authorities that allow frequent travellers who meet strict national security standards to renew their visas without visiting a US embassy or consulate.

“Our embassy and consulates in India issued an all-time record of more than 140,000 student visas,” the US State Department said in a statement.