The US State Department has highlighted that it has given out record number of visas during the previous financial year. From October 2022 through September 2023, the Department has achieved a near-record level of nonimmigrant visas, surpassing 10 million globally.
Notably, half of the U.S. embassies and consulates have adjudicated more nonimmigrant visas than ever before during this period. In addition to the nearly historic total of over 10.4 million nonimmigrant visas issued worldwide, the department has issued nearly eight million visitor visas for business and tourism, marking the highest number in any fiscal year since 2016.
International students at U.S. colleges and universities contribute up to $38 billion annually to the U.S. economy, with the department issuing more than 600,000 student visas, the highest in any year since FY 2017. The embassy and consulates in India have issued an all-time record of more than 140,000 student visas.
In recent years, international visitors have made significant contributions, providing as much as $239 billion in annual spending to the U.S. economy and supporting an estimated 9.5 million American jobs, the Department noted. It has issued a record-breaking 442,000 visas to temporary and seasonal workers, specifically addressing the demand for workers in agriculture and other sectors where there is a shortage of available U.S. workers.
The Department issued 590,000 nonimmigrant visas to high-skilled workers and executives, enabling them to work alongside American experts. Additionally, nearly 365,000 nonimmigrant visas were issued to airline and shipping crew members, recognizing their essential role in maintaining global transportation networks.
