Indian students in the United States were issued a total of 1,30,839 F-1 student visas in 2023, witnessing a 14 per cent surge from 2022, says an Apply Board report.
The report says study permit trends in the US has indicated that this is the second year in a row, when Indians received more US student visas than students from any other country.
In 2023, the quantity of F1 student visas granted exceeded by 10,000 the total number of visas issued to the leading four East Asian markets collectively.
According to the report's findings, approximately 4,46,000 F-1 student visas were issued by the US in 2023, marking an 8.5% rise from the 4,11,000 visas issued in 2022. This figure represents the largest number of student visas issued in a single year since 2016.
More than 2 lakh Indian students consider pursuing higher education in the US every year. According to the US Embassy, Indian immigrants encompass 20 per cent of the foreign student group who aim to gain the know-how of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Especially students who desire to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses prefer the US as their go-to destination for its quality education, frontline universities, and diverse culture.
What is an F1 visa?
An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables students to enter the US provinces and attend a university or college, high school, elementary school, seminary, language training program, or other academic organisation. Till now, Indian students holding an F-1 visa could avail of up to 12 months of optional practical training (OPT), pre or post-completion of their graduate studies in STEM. They could apply for another year of OPT when seeking a postsecondary degree at a higher level.
However, there were a few challenges related to the postgraduate employment visa and its transformation to a work visa, which the country aims to revamp to attract international students.
How does an F-1 visa attract Indian students to the US?
The US is already a STEM hub, with some of the world’s finest universities with high academic standards and rigorous practical training grooming global learners. However, pursuing an education in the United States is expensive, with prices varying by degree program, location, type of university, and other factors. The tuition cost of a program usually ranges from $32,000 to $60,000 per year. Furthermore, living costs are 241% more expensive than in India, ranging between $10,000 to $18,000 per annum.
In this scenario, an F-1 visa allows students to work beside their full-time academic commitment to earn a living. It permits learners to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during the session and up to 40 hours per week during holidays. Moreover, the F-1 visa is valid for up to 5 years, during which a student can switch between academic programs or transfer to a different school by notifying the USCIS.
F-1 visas also enable students to work off-campus through OPT after completing their academic program. Learners who want to stay longer in the United States and pursue employment can apply for the OPT program and switch their student visa to an H-1B work visa for an initial three-year period. However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) used to take about 150-210 days (5-7 months) to process Form I-765 for employment authorisation, causing delays and complications.
Revised provisions of an F-1 visa
In September 2022, the USCIS announced a revision of employment authorisation applicable from March 6 to extend a student’s retention period in the US, reduce the backlog, and enhance processing efficiency. In this policy, selected categories of students on F-1 visas who pursue studies in STEM or its allied modules can opt for an additional 24 months extension of their OPT program to find a suitable employment opportunity. Once the extension period ends, they can apply for an H-1B work visa or search for an employer willing to sponsor their work visas.
Moreover, the revised F-1 visa provision focuses on premium processing of employment authorisation. That said, a student on an F-1 visa can apply for an H-1B work visa by filling out Forms I-129, I-140, and I-765 for Employment Authorisation and Form I-907 for Requesting Premium Processing Service. The USCIS will take 15 calendar days (instead of 210) to process the applications from submission, accelerating their review process and reducing turnaround time.
