At a time when the Donald Trump administration is trying to rework its visa policy, the United States of America Embassy in New Delhi said the proposed bar on H1-B visas will have no impact on Indian students wanting to study in US.
Clarifying on the visa issues, US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires (CDA), Mary Kay Carlson, said: “H1-B is under review and there has been no change in the process of applying for student visas. Today in US, every sixth international student is from India, and these students are contributing enormously to every aspect of life at the university and in the surrounding communities.”
Carlson was speaking during the Student Visa Programme held at the US Embassy here and consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai on Thursday that opened doors for more than 4,000 Indian Students applying for visas for pursuing education in the US.
“We are celebrating Indian students who are not only taking an exciting step in their higher education but are also furthering the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries,” the CDA added.
With over 4,500 accredited colleges and universities, the US is an attractive destination for Indians for higher education. According to statistics, 2014-15 and 2015- 16 saw a steep rise of 24.9 per cent of Indian students and 7.1 per cent of International students going to US for education. Currently, 1.66 lakh Indian students are enrolled in the US institutions of higher education — up from one lakh in just two years ago. There are 12 per cent Indians pursuing undergraduate programmes, 61 per cent for the graduate program, 26 per cent for the OPT and one per cent non degree.
Arunima Sharma, an applicant of MS Management Sciences at Columbia University, New York, said: “Political issues are not a concern for students as there has been no compromise in the quality of education in the universities.”