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THE US Embassy and Consulates in India are prioritising student visa applications in the country, while also working to reduce waiting time for other categories of visa, said Eric Garcetti, US Ambassador to India.
“It’s the first time, I think, in American history that a President has told an Ambassador to get those visa waiting times down,” Garcetti said during a recent interaction at the American Centre, in New Delhi.
The US mission is striving to enable more Indian students to pursue education in the US, in anticipation of an increase in visa applications this year. In 2022, the US Consular team in India issued over 140,000 student visas.
Assurance on safety: Amid the various cases of deaths of Indian and Indian-origin students being reported in the US since January, the Ambassador said United States is a safe country and cares deeply for the wellbeing of Indian students.
He assured the parents of Indian students that their children are America’s children as well, when they are in the US.
Although US remains a preferred destination among Indian students for higher education, the recent cases have raised concern among the Indian population and Indo-American community.
While lamenting these tragic deaths in the past few months, Garcetti asserted that the US is a safe country, underlining that students studying abroad should familiarise themselves, have trusted friends and network, and must know what to do in a dangerous situation, or a mental health issue.
The US envoy also highlighted that students going to pursue their studies in the US should know that there are local law enforcements and campus securities, which sometimes they don’t.
Praise for universities: Praising the American universities, he said these are extraordinary places to come to and they offer overwhelming experience to students, including those from India. In view of the numerous cases being reported in US of Indian students being killed, missing, and found dead under mysterious circumstances, Garcetti stated that US aims to provide students and their parents with required resources to help them stay safe.
Referring to the record number of Indian students getting visa, Garcetti said tragic incidents can be seen anywhere, be it the US or India. He further urged students to adhere to campus safety briefings carefully.
