Student Visa Day attracts over 4,000 at US missions

Over 4,000 Indian students who had applied for visas to pursue education in the United States were interviewed at various US missions across India on the occasion of its annual Student Visa Day, an official said here on Thursday.

The US Embassy in New Delhi and consulates-general in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad opened their doors exclusively for the student visa applicants on Thursday with a congratulatory message from US Ambassador Richard R. Verma.

Around 1,300 visa hopeful youngsters were interviewed in the US Consulate Mumbai even as US student visa applications registered a 60 percent increase this year in India.

Last year, around 103,000 Indian students secured admissions in US institutions of higher education, making them the second largest group of foreign students after China.

"Indian students are a great asset to United States universities and colleges. Both countries benefit greatly when our students study and learn together," Verma said in his message.

The Student Visa Day was conducted in an informative, festive, collegiate atmosphere, with consulate staffers dressed in their school colours, with college songs and pop music played in the background.

In Mumbai, representatives of partners, including the United States-India Educational Foundation, the Indo-American Education Society, the American Library, and recent US graduates, fielded student queries on various aspects of student life in the US.

"It has been an honour to meet India's future leaders today (Thursday) at Student Visa Day. I am continually impressed by the caliber of Indian students that I meet, and amazed by what they contribute to both India and the world," Verma remarked after interacting with some student visa applicants in the US Embassy in New Delhi.