New Delhi: In a sigh of relief for thousands of Indian visa applicants to the US, authorities from the latter are expected to expedite the procedure of visa to a huge degree by the summer of 2023.
More visa applicants to the US will now be eligible for an interview waiver as the authorities will, for the first time, send 'drop box' applicants from India to America to cut the visa wait time that has affected many Indian visa applicants post the Covid pandemic.
How will Indian student visa applicants benefit?
Indian student visa applicants to the US, who are planning to study in the country for bachelor's and master's degrees, can use the drop box facility if they had a US visa earlier irrespective of the fact that it might have expired, according to reports.
Indian students who have been to the US on a tourist visa earlier will now be eligible for an interview waiver while applying for a student visa to the North American study destination.
Indian number one priority for Washington
The development comes as 82,000 student visas were issued to Indian students by the US in the Summer of 2022 as India positioned itself as the number one source of international students, surpassing China.
Indian students comprise nearly 20 percent of all international students studying in the United States, with the Open Doors report in 2021 showing there were 167,582 students from India in the 2020-2021 academic year.
Focus on dropbox users over first-time applicants
If Indian student visa applicants fulfill the requirements to avail of the dropbox facility they will be on the priority list as compared to the first-time applicants. The effort is mostly focused on getting back to normalcy by June-July 2023, according to the reports.
The peak student season, concerning the months of June, July, and August, will have the US Embassy and the Consulates prioritising visa appointments for Indian students same as this year. Jessica Doyle, Acting Spokesperson, U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai had told the Free Press Journal that the majority of the visa appointments were set aside for students in these specific months with expanded eligibility for interview waivers.
Indian students contribute major revenue to the US
The US mission celebrates student visa day every year, which is aimed at appreciating Indian students who are set to study at their dream destination. During the event's annual celebration in June 2022, ex-US Consul General David Ranz stated that Indian students contribute 8 billion dollars to the US economy.
"Students are also a big business for the US, with Indian students contributing more than 8 billion dollars a year to the US economy," Ranz told FPJ.
FPJ is expecting responses from the US Consulate in Mumbai about more details on the recent changes.
