“Student Visas Can Be Issued 365 Days in Advance”: US Expands Application Window to Clear Backlog
- Daily, more Nigerians are leaving the country, with a good number of them departing on student visas
- A new report released by the US government provided insight into the mass exodus as approved visas hit a record high in 2022
- To speed up the process, the US government has extended student visa applications up to one year in advance
The United States government has revealed that it granted Nigerians and Ghanaians the highest number of student visas in 2022 than at any other time in history.
The US Department of State disclosed this via the Canadian educational organisation ApplyBoard.
Source: Getty Images
Part of the report reads:
“Nigeria and Ghana will be particularly interesting to watch over the next couple of years — both were issued the most student visas in their histories in 2022.
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“As the US grows in popularity among African and Indian students, the short-term trade-off may be slightly lower approval rates. But the long-term benefits could help fast-track the recovery of the US international education sector.”
Breakdown of visas Issued
As reported by the Voice of America, the number of visas granted to African students in 2022 surpassed 30,700, which marked a significant increase from the 23,229 visas issued in the previous fiscal year.
The report also highlighted that in 2018 at least 21,037 visas were awarded to African students. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the issuance of student visas to Africa dropped to 7,333 in 2020, a notable decline from the 20,165 visas granted in 2019.
In 2022, the United States issued over 411,000 student visas, representing a 15% rise from the 2021 figure of 357,839.
US extends visa application window
Meanwhile, the US State Department has expanded the application window for F and M visas to 365 days before the student’s planned programme start date.
The move aims to reduce delays and make it easier for international students to be well-prepared before travelling.
Those enrolled in an academic program or pursuing a full-time degree at a US university typically receive an F1 visa.
A tweet from the US govt reads:
"F and M student visas can now be issued up to 365 days in advance of the I-20 program start date, allowing more time for students to apply for a visa. Students are still not allowed to enter the U.S. on a student visa more than 30 days before their program start date."
Nigerians form long queues at Lagos UK visa office after Legit story
After Legit.ng published a report stating that the United Kingdom has resumed Priority Visa issuance to Nigerians, the UK visa office overflowed with Nigerians seeking to obtain visas.
Nigerians began to throng the UK visa office after it was announced that Nigeria had been removed from the UK red list following the drop in the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Legit.ng reported that the UK government announced the resumption of its Priority Visa (PV) in all the Nigerian visa application centres from January 24, 2022.
The news comes after the US Mission in Nigeria stated that those who have previously been to the United States have been captured by Drop Box service, which lets them renew their visa without attending an interview.
Source: Legit.ng
