In 2022, the United States issued 82,000 student visas to Indian students which has become a record-breaking number to date. This is also the highest number of student visas given to Indian students ever by the US Mission in India by the Embassy in New Delhi as well as the four Consulates Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata as well as Mumbai.

One of the major reasons for this huge number is the previous year's pandemic, due to which visa issuance was largely impacted. The US embassy and the consulates were short-staffed and the visa issuance and application process was delayed. After the lockdown was over, the consulate prioritized the processing of student visa applications as soon as possible to ensure that they make it in time for their scheduled start date.

In 2019, before the pandemic, international students contributed over $44 billion to the US economy. Amongst this, $16 billion was reported to be from Chinese students while only $8 billion was contributed by Indian students. China had stayed on top of the students receiving student visas in the USA for several years. However, in recent numbers, India is now the top contributor with more students receiving student visas than any other country. Now, Indian students comprise nearly 20% of all international students in the USA

Charge d’Affaires Patricia Lacina when asked about the matter 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 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 further implied, “International student mobility is central to US diplomacy, and nowhere is the contribution of students bigger than in India.”