12% increase in US visa to Indian students

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 6

Snake lines, tense faces, murmurs and whispers as Indian applicants hoping for a US education visa waited at the embassy in Delhi since early morning.

Representatives from Education USA and American Library and recent US graduates counselled them and shared personal insights about studying in American institutes.

On the fourth annual Student Visa Day, more than 4,000 indian students applying for admission to US educational institutes lined up for visa interviews at the embassy in Delhi and Consulates General in Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.

In 2017, more than 1.86 lakh Indian students enrolled in US institutions of higher education, a 12 per cent increase from 2016. With 17 per cent of the total international student population, India is the second leading place of origin for students coming to the United States despite the uncertainty following Donald Trump’s Presidential actions on visas and immigration issues.

“The number of students has doubled in the course of last 10 years. International educational exchange plays a central role in the US-India relationship. Student exchanges between our two countries help strengthen the foundation upon which our strategic partnership is built,” remarked US DCM (Deputy Chief Of Mission) MaryKay-Carlson.

US allays fears on H1B, H4 Visas

Meanwhile, asked about pending reforms on H1B visas and H4 visas granted to their spouses, that could impact several thousand Indian skilled professionals in US, Carlson played down the fears.

“There have been no big changes in the H1B program and nothing new on H4 at this time. Certainly employment visas and worked permits for India, US or for every country in the world is a sovereign decision where every country works at what makes sense for their citizens and for that particular sovereign economy ,” Carlson told The Tribune.

She added, “They are not standing on thin ice at all rather on a solid bedrock of very exceptional education system and people to people ties between US and India .”

India has been in talks with the US Congress on proposed reforms to these visas.

Earlier speaking to The Tribune, Dr Mukesh Aghi , CEO and President of USISPF (US-India Strategic Partnership Forum), also allayed concerns. “There is no strong bill on Capitol Hill at this stage. There is a strong compliance enforcement which is fine because everyone needs to comply with local laws,” said Dr Aghi.

He also underlined that New Delhi needs to be vigilant to make sure H1B visas continue but reminded that that it is a legislative issued that cannot be annulled forcibly.”There is a sense of uncertainty in india but no panic on the ground in US,” Dr Aghi added.