A State Department spokesperson, however, told University World News that in the fiscal year 2023 (October 2022-September 2023) saw the highest ever number of student and exchange visas issued to African countries in its history and 61% more than pre-pandemic 2019. “Our embassies and consulates in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Eswatini, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar all issued more student visas in 2023 than in any year in the past two decades,” the spokesperson reportedly said.
The State Department said last November that it issued nearly 40,000 student visas to African students in the fiscal year, of which more than 9,700 visas were to Nigerian applicants. Comparatively the U.S. issued “an all-time record” of more than 140,000 student visas to applicants from India.
Overall, international students at U.S. colleges and universities are said to spend up to $38 billion annually in the U.S. economy.
Immigration will be one of the most contentious issues in the upcoming US presidential election this November between Democrats presumptive nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and the Republicans’ former President Donald Trump.
Source link : https://www.semafor.com/article/07/28/2024/us-rejects-african-students-visas-rising
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Publish date : 2024-07-28 12:11:00
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