US F1 visa: More slots open up, giving hope to Indian students

An earlier report by LiveMint in June noted that the United States had opened the visa appointments for F1 student visas across its consulates in India and the appointments were available from mid-July to mid-August.

Indian students comprise over 21 per cent of the total population of international students in the United States. During the 2021-2022 academic year, nearly 200,000 Indian students were studying in the United States.

Speaking about the close ties between the two countries, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had earlier said, "More Indians come to the United States as students than from any other country in the world. One out of every five student visas was issued right here in India in 2022 which is, by the way, more than the proportion of Indian population in the world. Indians have not only pursued education in the US but for decades have shown excellence. We are on track to process the highest number of visa applications for students in our history."