Indian students are finally going to US universities after a long delay of one and a half years. Along with the academic session, students have been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as those wanting to pursue a course in the Fall of 2020, couldn’t do so due to the pandemic-led travel restrictions. However, things are changing now as students are heading to the US after the US embassy in Delhi started issuing visas and giving students appointments in June.
Good news by the US mission in Delhi was announced earlier this week with over 55,000 students and exchange visitor visas being issued to Indian students. With more visa applications getting approved, students can join the course on time without wasting another year.
Indian students planning to join US universities in the Fall of 2021 have been facing a lot of challenges as the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India led all US consular operations to shut indefinitely.
American universities, on the other hand, took a long time to make an announcement related to vaccine requirement, resuming university operations, and holding in-person classes. So, what has worked out in favour of US universities to offer such an overwhelming number of visas to Indian students?
Well, Australia and New Zealand haven’t opened their borders for international students and various EU nations have not been specific about the vaccination requirements for Indian students, but the US embassy and consulates in India opened additional hours for visa appointments for students since the resumption of visa services in July.
Several US universities that have decided to conduct in-person classes are still crunching the numbers on international student enrolments. Several universities, including the University of Missouri-Kansas City, have recorded a significant increase in the number of Indian students’ enrolment for the 2021 academic session. The University of Missouri-Kansas City has enrolled 630 students for the Fall semester of 2021, which is the highest number since 2016.
Another reason could be the promise shown by the US job market in the face of the pandemic, other than the advantage of interdisciplinary education offered by the US universities.
