The US has seen the largest yearly increase in student visas in over a decade, making this year the largest for the issuance of F-1 visas since 2016.
In 2022, the US Department of State issued over 411,000 student visas, which is up from 15% in 2021. As per the data from the State Department, this is not just a 15% increase but also the highest total seen in six years.
As far as Canada is concerned, over 420,000 student visas were issued in 2022, showing an increase of 27% compared to 2021. Similarly, the UK saw an annual growth rate of 34% in March 2023. Though there were high student visa application rates, the case with approval rates was different.
Anmol Bhatia, Regional Manager of the US, says, “Recently, there has been a significant fluctuation in the student visa approval rate for international students. The US Department of State is making efforts to streamline the visa approval process and grant more visas.”
In 2021, the F-1 visa approval rate hit an all-time high of over 80%. However, the approval rate in 2022 dropped to 65%.
There was an increase of over 43% in the issuance of student visas from fiscal year 2021 to 2022. Over 115,000 student visas were issued from India, leaving behind China (61,894). It is uncertain how the numbers would adjust after the pandemic, as in 2021, the US Department of State barely granted more student visas to Chinese students than Indian students. It is now evident, based on data from fiscal year 2022, that these two markets are moving in separate directions. There is a shift in trend in the US’s approval of student visa applications from Chinese students, as it fell by 35% in 2022. However, there was an increase of 43% in student visa approvals compared to 2021.