VISAKHAPATNAM: If India displaced China and became the top country to send students to US universities in 2023-24, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had a big role to play. Data from US consulate-general, Hyderabad, show that nearly 56% of Indian students who packed their bags for the US last year were from the two states – with 34% from Telangana and 22% from Andhra.
The number of US students enrolled in Indian institutions increased 300% over the previous year.
These details were shared by Hyderabad’s US consular chief Rebekah Drame and public affairs officer Alexander McLaren during a visit to Visakhapatnam Tuesday. Although they did not divulge the exact number of students from Telangana and Andhra, it could be around 1.8 lakh as India sent nearly 3.3 lakh students to the US in 2023.
“The demand for visas in India is insatiable. Last year we processed 1.4 million visas. While this represents just a tenth of a percent of the population, it is still an impressive number. No other country (consulate) operating in India has processed as many visas,” Drame said.
The consular chief added: “Over the past year and a half, our staff in Hyderabad more than doubled. By early 2025, we expect the team to nearly triple in size. Currently, we process about 1,600 visas per day, and this number is likely to increase to around 2,500 by Jan or Feb next year- potentially even more after that…”
The Hyderabad consulate conducted over 47,000 student visa interviews during the 2024 summer student visa season, up from 35,000 in 2023.
Public affairs officer McLaren cited the US’s Open Doors report released Monday highlighting the surge in numbers of Indian students. “This year India ranked as the number one country sending students to the US. Most Indian students are men pursuing master’s degrees. Expanding enrolments in undergraduate programmes could help diversify the student body,” said McLaren.
Drame flagged other visa measures. “One remarkable pilot programme was H-1B domestic revalidation initiative. For three months, 10,000 appointments were made available for H-1B holders residing in the US, allowing them to renew their visas without travelling back to India. This was successful and we are confident Washington will reinstate it as a regular programme next year,” he added.
