US government to give student visas for Indians priority. This is how it will help

The United States of America (USA) has decided that it will give priority to students for visas as the country expects heavy inflow of travellers with the travel restrictions being lifted, as per a US diplomat.

Travel restrictions on China, India and much of Europe have already been lifted as of November 8 by the US which were first put in place in early 2020.

“The appointments for visa will be made available from November 1. Priority will be given to student visas,” US Consul General to Kolkata, Melinda Pavek said on the sidelines of an interactive session with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here.

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The US has already issued over 62,000 Indian student visas in 2021, she said. According to her, with the US presidential proclamation coming to an end on November 8, applications for all types of visas will become eligible.

The accounting period for a US visa for different purposes like work, business and studies is between September of a year to August the next year, officials said. A consul official said except for a brief period student and emergency visas were not closed. From November 8 all types of visas will be given and a heavy surge of visa applications is expected.

Patton International senior official Preeyam Bhudhia said Indo-US trade will get a boost with the lifting of the travel restrictions. Bilateral trade between the two countries had already recovered by 50 per cent till August and is expected to reach the pre-COVID level of 2019 in the current year, ICC officials said.