The US embassy in Delhi has said that the visa interviews for students will begin in mid-May. It hopes to issue more than 62,000 student visas this year.
"This year, we will open student visa interviews earlier in mid-May and hope to issue even more student visas than the 62,000 issued last year, which was more than ever before,” Donald L Heflin, minister-counselor for consular affairs at the US embassy in Delhi, told The Economic Times.
However, Heflin said that F-1 student visa applicants from India this year are unlikely to get a second or third chance if it is not approved in the first interview.
Explaining the policy change, Heflin said that they wanted to give all the fresh applicants, who are turning up for the first time, a chance, rather than allowing those who have already applied before.
"The best way to do that is to block out the people refused a student visa before," he said, as quoted by ET.
F1 visas are issued to international students for allowing them to enter the United States and study at a college or university on a full-time basis.
A report released by the Institute of International Education last year had highlighted that the number of Indians studying in the US had come down by nearly 13 percent in 2020-21 compared to the year before. The drop was attributed to the impact of COVID-19.
However, the 2021 Open Doors Report had said that the US remained the top education destination of international students with Indians being the second largest group studying in the country after China.
Also Read | US lawmakers introduce bill for grant of automatic right to H-4 visa holders to work in America
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