Indian students choose US more than ever before

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

After the attack of coronavirus pandemic and especially after former US president Trump’s infamous proclamations that tightened the US borders, the flow of international students to the US has significantly taken a hit.

Even as many students choose their destination like Canada and European nations, the US still remains as one of the favorite destinations for Indian students.

In fact, the US mission in New Delhi announced Monday that the US Embassy and Consulates in India approved more student visa applicants in 2021 than ever before.

It said that more than 55,000 Indian students and exchange visitors are boarding planes to study in the United States, and more students are being approved every day

The US mission noted that it is looking forward to another great student season as it facilitates study for spring semester students over the coming few months.

“Studying in the United States is a unique and often life-changing experience for Indian students, granting fresh, global perspectives and frequently leading to invaluable career opportunities,” said Atul Keshap, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy.

“Indian students also enrich US society, achieve high levels of academic success, and deepen the bonds of friendship between our countries. The many hard-working women and men of the US Mission to India are proud to facilitate their travel and study,” he said.

The Covid-19 pandemic created tremendous logistical challenges for the US Mission’s consular teams, the embassy said in a press release.

Embassies and Consulates typically begin interviewing fall semester students for a given year in May, but the second wave of Covid-19 forced the mission to delay the commencement of its student visa season by two months, it said.

In July, as soon as conditions allowed for the resumption of visa services without endangering applicants’ health and safety, consular teams worked not only to match, but surpass, their pre-Covid workload, the embassy said.

The US Embassy and Consulates opened additional hours for visa appointments and made every possible effort to ensure timely arrival for academic programs for as many students as possible, it said.

“Ultimately, these efforts paid off, as more students than ever before received visas to study in the United States,” the embassy said.

The diversity of the American higher education system is unparalleled with over 4,500 nationally and regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States, recognized worldwide for the quality of their programs, faculty, and facilities, it noted.

Interested students can also participate in upcoming EducationUSA University Virtual Fairs, to be held on Aug. 27, for prospective graduate students and Sept. 3, for prospective undergraduate students.

These fairs provide a unique opportunity for Indian students to engage with US university representatives and EducationUSA advisers to better understand the wide spectrum of educational opportunities available in the United States, the embassy said.