In 2023, Hyderabad joined Mumbai, New Delhi, and Chennai as one of the top four student visa processing centers globally, as the US Consular team in India achieved unprecedented visa records. Visa demand across all categories surged dramatically, with applications increasing by an impressive 60% compared to 2022.
Hyderabad played a significant role in this surge, contributing substantially to India’s representation, with one in every 10 US visa applicants originating from the country. The US consular team issued over 140,000 student visas in 2023, marking the third consecutive year of record-breaking issuance. Consequently, Indian students now represent the largest group of international graduate students in the United States, constituting over a quarter of the one million foreign students studying in the country.
Maintaining a focus on employment visas, Consular Team India streamlined processes by consolidating most petition-based visa processing in Chennai and Hyderabad. The strategic initiative led to the streamlined processing of more than 380,000 employment visas for Indians and their families in 2023, significantly reducing appointment wait times. Looking forward to 2024, a pilot program will allow eligible H1B holders to renew their visas within the United States, further enhancing the process for this category.