Meeting of Minds

Updated on: Saturday, July 30, 2011

The United States is proud of its record of welcoming foreign students, and in particular the numerous Indian students who enrich America’s academic communities.

The number of Indian students who have applied for visas to study in United States, increased by 20 per cent over the same period last year. This increase is an indication of the dynamism of the Indo-US partnership and the strong people-to-people ties between the two nations. It also reflects the desire of high quality Indian students to pursue a world-class education in the US.

The embassy is to provide accurate and free information that allows students and their families to research schools and to protect themselves from visa fraud rings.

As always, the US government urges all prospective students to fully research their chosen educational institutes and have a firm grasp of what is and is not permitted under a student visa. The following will result in an immediate violation of status:

· Lack of physical attendance at classes (taking only online courses is not acceptable)
· Failure to maintain a full course load
· Unauthorised employment

Violating the terms of a visa can result in deportation, arrest and even a bar on future travel to the United States. If any educational advisor or academic organisation suggests that such actions are permissible under a student visa, it is strongly recommended that students should contact the embassy immediately in order to prevent committing visa fraud.

More than 100,000 Indian students are currently studying at universities across the United States, and thousands more will join them in the coming academic year. As the number of student visa applications in India is 20 per cent higher than at this point last year, in response the US has greatly expanded its consular staffing and educational outreach initiatives to ensure that prospective students can get the visa appointments and information they need.

This effort includes significantly increased funding for the EducationUSA Advising Centers at the US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). Educational seminars and advising opportunities continue to be hosted by EducationUSA advisers at various locations around the country, both in-person and via the internet. In addition, within the next months, the EducationUSA center at USIEF New Delhi is expecting to introduce a telephone hotline and virtual information hub.

Meeting of Minds

More Education news