The US Embassy and its consulate in India have set a new record by issuing more than one million non-immigrant visas for the second consecutive year. This record number of non-immigrant visas highlights the significant demand among Indians for travel to the United States for various purposes such as tourism, business, education, medical treatment, and others. A non-immigrant visa facilitates entry into the United States for these purposes.
The US Embassy has pledged to increase the number of Indian visitors to the US after the Covid pandemic and has maintained impressive numbers over the years. In the past four years, the number of visitors from India has increased fivefold, and more than two million Indians have traveled to the United States in the first eleven months of 2024, a 26% increase over the same period in 2023, according to an official statement from the Embassy.
Over five million Indians already have a non-immigrant visa to visit the United States, and each day, the Mission issues thousands more.
The US Department of State completed a successful pilot program to renew H-1B visas in the United States this year. This allowed many specialty occupation workers from India to renew their visas without leaving the United States. This pilot program streamlined the renewal process for thousands of applicants, and the Department of State is working to formally establish a US-based renewal program in 2025.
The US Missions have also issued tens of thousands of immigrant visas, facilitating legal family reunification and migration of skilled professionals. These immigrant visa holders have gone on to become permanent residents. The US mission has also provided more than 24,000 passports and other consular services to American citizens living and traveling in India.
The Embassy has also issued US student visas to more than 300,000 Indian students, its largest ever.
In 2024, India became the top sender of international students for the first time since the 2008/2009 academic year with more than 331,000 students overall studying in the United States. India also remains the largest sender of international graduate students in the United States for the second year. The number of Indian graduates has also seen a rise of 19% compared to earlier, and at present, there are nearly 200,000 students.
The US Mission to India has achieved significant milestones in visa issuances, reflecting the growing demand for travel to the United States. For the second consecutive year, the US Mission issued over one million non-immigrant visas, including a record number of visitor visas. This surge highlights the increasing interest among Indians to visit the US for tourism, business, and educational opportunities.