In an exclusive report published last week, The Indian Express had scrutinised the monthly visa reports (available on the official website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs) and found that Indians have got almost twice the number of student visas as the Chinese in the first seven months of this year. For many years, China has remained the top overall source of international students in America.

This newspaper’s report based on analysis of non-immigrant visas issued by the US State Department up to July found that 77,799 Indian students have got F-1 visas between January and July as opposed to 46,145 Chinese students. The F-1 category is a non-immigrant visa for those who wish to study at a university or college, high school, private elementary school, seminary, conservatory, language training program or other academic institutions in the US.

The U.S. Mission in India has issued a record-breaking 82,000 #studentvisas in 2022 to date, higher than any other country. This shows that the U.S. remains the most sought-after country for higher education. pic.twitter.com/BBv8LZT7oo

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) September 8, 2022

Meanwhile, the statement issued on Thursday said the US Embassy in New Delhi and four consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai prioritised the processing of student visa applications from May to August to ensure that as many qualified students as possible made it to their programs of study in time for scheduled start dates.

Charge d’Affaires Patricia Lacina said, “We are happy to see so many students were able to receive visas and reach their universities after the delays caused in previous years by the COVID-19 pandemic. We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year. This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education. It also highlights the important contributions Indian students make to both our countries as they build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships, working collectively to address current and future global challenges.”

Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs Don Heflin said, “International student mobility is central to US diplomacy, and nowhere is the contribution of students bigger than in India.”

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.

The Indian Express’s analysis of student visas issued by the US showed that while the absolute number of Chinese students heading to America for higher education has been on the decline since the pandemic hit, China still accounts for the largest share of international students presently studying in the US. Indian students come in at second position and students from South Korea third.

International students make a significant contribution to the US economy as most pay much higher tuition rates than American citizens. In 2019, before the pandemic broke out, international students contributed $44 billion to the US economy. Of this, roughly $16 billion came from Chinese students and close to $8 billion from Indian students.

Meanwhile, the statement issued on Thursday said that students seeking assistance about studying in the United States should download the EducationUSA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices.