US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina on Tuesday said despite the challenges of COVID pandemic, the US Mission to India issued more student visas in 2021 than ever before and is looking forward to a record-breaking season this year.
"The best evidence of the importance of academic exchange is how the US Mission to India continues to prioritize students for visa interviews. Our consular professionals are hard at work interviewing student visa applicants across India. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission issued more student visas in 2021 than ever before. This summer, we are expecting another record-breaking students' season. We have opened tens of thousands of visa appointments and expanded our interview waiver options for students under new visa guidelines," Lacina said at Student Visa Day event organised by the US Embassy.
She also spoke about efforts made by the US Mission to India like the Dropbox service to bypass in-person interview for students who have previously held any US visa.
"Students who have previously held any US visa can apply using the dropbox service to bypass the in-person interview. This is just one of many steps we are taking to facilitate travel for as many qualified student applicants as possible," she said.
Lacina noted that the United States places an immense value on international students and their rich contributions to academic institutions, campuses and communities.
"This is particularly true in India. In fact, Indians are the second-largest group of international students in the United States. Student mobility and the people to people connections it forges has been a cornerstone of the US India relationship for the past 75 years and remains so today," she elaborated.
The US Mission to India organized its sixth annual Student Visa Day on Tuesday. Consular Officers at the US Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Chennai, Hyderabad Kolkata and Mumbai interviewed more than 2,500 Indian student visa applicants.
Lacina and consuls general throughout India congratulated visa recipients as they prepared to join the growing ranks of Indian students who have chosen to study in the United States.
"Today we recognize the many contributions of Indian students in shaping the US-India relationship, which is celebrating 75 years of achievement," said US Charge d'Affaires in a statement.
Student Visa Day celebrates higher education ties between the United States and India.
( With inputs from ANI )
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