US dismisses reports of new visa application centre in Vizag, Vijayawada

The US consulate in Hyderabad reports 56% of Indian students to the US are from Telangana and Andhra

The United States Consulate General in Hyderabad on Saturday addressed recent media reports suggesting plans to establish a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Andhra Pradesh. US Consular Chief Rebekah Drame stated, "We are always looking for ways to better meet the needs of visa-seekers in our region. We do not, however, have announcements to share on the building or opening of any new VAC centres in our consulate region."

 

This clarification comes amid discussions about the high number of students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana pursuing education in the United States. Data from the Consulate indicates that nearly 56% of Indian students heading to the US last year were from these two states, with 34% from Telangana and 22% from Andhra Pradesh.

 

 

 Currently, there are five VACs in India: Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. For applicants in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, the nearest VAC is in Hyderabad.

  Rising student numbers from India to the US  

  Rebekah Drame and Alexander McLaren, public affairs officer at the Hyderabad consulate, shared the statistics during their visit to Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. They highlighted a sharp rise in US student enrolments in India, with numbers increasing by 300% compared to the previous year.

 

Although the officials did not provide the exact number of students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, reports suggest the figure could be around 180,000. This comes as India sent nearly 330,000 students to the US in 2023, making it the leading country of origin for international students in the United States.

 

Growing visa demand and consulate efforts

 

"The demand for US visas in India is insatiable," said Drame. "Last year, we processed 1.4 million visas. While this is just a fraction of the Indian population, no other US consulate globally matches this volume."

 

To meet this growing demand, the Hyderabad consulate has been scaling up operations. "Over the past year and a half, our staff more than doubled. By early 2025, we expect the team to nearly triple in size," Drame explained. Currently, the consulate processes approximately 1,600 visa applications daily, a number projected to reach 2,500 by early next year.

 

During the 2024 summer visa season, the consulate conducted over 47,000 student visa interviews, up from 35,000 in 2023.

 

New visa initiatives for Indian applicants

 

Drame also spoke about the success of the H-1B domestic revalidation pilot programme, launched earlier this year. "Over three months, we facilitated 10,000 appointments for H-1B holders in the US, allowing them to renew their visas domestically instead of travelling back to India," he said. "We are confident this will become a regular programme next year."

 

Open Doors Report 2024 reveals record numbers

 

The recently released Open Doors Report 2024 underscores India's strong presence in US higher education. "India is now the leading country of origin for international students in the United States, with over 331,602 students currently enrolled," the report states.

 

Indian students also led graduate enrolments for the second consecutive year, with a 19% increase to 196,567 students pursuing master’s and PhD programmes. Undergraduate enrolments rose by 13% to 36,053, while non-degree enrolments declined by 28% to 1,426.

 

"The number of Indian students is at an all-time high," the report showed.