Rise in Telugu students heading to US varsities

In 2022, the US Consulate in Hyderabad issued over 18,600 student visas — a 23 per cent jump from 2021

Hyderabad: For Telugu students, the charm of pursuing higher education at US universities continues to soar, given the increasing number of visas being issued.

In 2022, the US Consulate in Hyderabad issued over 18,600 student visas — a 23 per cent jump from 2021. “We understand the importance of facilitating interviews for student visa applicants and the US Mission in India has prioritised student visas as we work to recover from the global pandemic, issuing nearly 1,25,000 student visas in 2022, which is a record,” the US Consulate spokesperson said.

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Currently, as there is a surge in applications, the US government has accorded top priority to student visas so that students get them in time.

It has commenced hiring and training additional vice consuls and visa adjudicators for assignment to India in different consulates and consul sections in New Delhi for visa processing.

“We are surging staff to India. We are currently on pace to reach the highest level of consular officer staffing we have ever seen in India by the second half of 2023,” the spokesperson said.

On the delay in processing 221(g), the spokesperson said some applications may require further administrative processing.

“When administrative processing is required, the consular officer will inform the applicant at the end of the interview. The duration of the processing will vary based on each case. Students, whose cases require further processing, should not book new appointments before this processing is complete, as doing so could result in further delays,” the spokesperson added.