US issued record 1.4 m visas to Indians in 2023

New Delhi: The US consular team in India achieved a milestone in 2023 by processing a remarkable 1.4 million US visas, surpassing previous records. This unprecedented accomplishment has led to a significant reduction of 75 percent in visitor visa appointment wait times.

According to the US embassy and consulates in India, individuals from India now constitute one-tenth of all global US visa applicants.

“In 2023, the US embassy and consulates processed 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world,” the statement read.

Visitor visa applications (B1/B2) have surged, reaching the second-highest volume in the history of the US Mission, surpassing 7,00,000 applications. Through process enhancements and increased staffing investments, the wait time for visitor visas has significantly decreased from an average of 1,000 days to just 250 days nationwide, with minimal wait times across all categories.

The US consular team in India issued over 1,40,000 student visas in 2023 – more than in any other country in the world setting a record for the third year in a row, the statement added. Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai emerged as the top four global student visa processing hubs.

As a result, Indian students have become the largest contingent of international graduate students in the United States, constituting more than a quarter of the over one million foreign students enrolled in US institutions. The US embassy and consulates emphasise that ’employment visas’ continue to be a top priority.