The number of Indian students going to the US for studies is increasing significantly. In 2023-24, the number of Indian students enrolled in US universities surpassed that of China. With this, India has topped the list of students from other countries studying in US universities.
According to data from the US Consulate General in Hyderabad, about 56 percent of the Indian students who went to the US last year were from the two Telugu states. Of these, 34% were from Telangana and 22% were from Andhra. Moreover, the number of US students enrolled in Indian educational institutions has increased by 300 percent compared to last year.
This was revealed by US Consular Chief in Hyderabad Rebecca Dram and another official Alexander McLaren during a visit to Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. It is estimated that about 3.3 lakh students from India will go to the US for higher studies in 2023, of which about 1.8 lakh will be from AP and Telangana.
US Consulate officials said that the demand for US visas in India is increasing day by day. They said that they processed 1.4 million visas last year and no other consulate in the country has processed so many visas. They said that the US Consulate staff in Hyderabad has doubled in the last year and a half. They expect their number to triple by 2025.
They said that they will process 1,600 visas per day, and this number is likely to increase to about 2,500 by January or February 2025. Officials said that the Hyderabad Consulate conducted 47,000 student visa interviews in the 2024 summer student visa season. This was up from 35,000 in 2023. They said that India has ranked first among the countries sending students to the US this year.
They explained that Indian students are going to the US for their master’s degrees and undergraduate programs. They said that the H-1B domestic re-validation pilot program has been implemented for those living in the US. He said that 10,000 appointments have been made available for H-1B holders in the last three months.
With this, Indians living in the US can renew their visas without returning to the country. US consulate officials said that this pilot program has been successful. They said that it is likely to be revived as a regular program next year.
