US Embassy interviews 600 students on Friday to reduce visa backlog

The US Embassy in Dhaka on Friday interviewed over 600 students applying for student visas in a special workday called "Super Friday" to overcome the visa backlog that accumulated due to the COVID pandemic.

The consular section of the embassy is making special efforts to ensure as many students as possible receive interviews before the start of the fall semester, a US Embassy press release said here today.

These special efforts include spending selected Fridays dedicated to interviewing applicants for student visas, it added.

"We recognize the unique opportunity that study in the United States offers and we are prioritizing student visa interviews," said US Embassy Consul General William Dowers on the occasion.

The US Embassy Dhaka plans to have another Super Friday on Friday, July 29 as part of a campaign to allow the mission to meet high demand for such visas.

Although the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted international educational exchange and student mobility around the world, the US Embassy Dhaka has resumed regular consular services, said the release.

In the last decade, the embassy said, the number of Bangladeshi students in the United States has nearly tripled, to over 8,500.

According to the 2021 Institute of International Education Open Doors report, Bangladesh currently ranks 14th among the top-sending countries of students to America from around the world-moving up three places from 17th place during the 2019-2020 academic year.

The United States remains a popular destination for higher education while during the 2020-2021 academic year, it welcomed over 914,000 international students from over 200 places of origin.

The United States has been open and welcoming to international students throughout the pandemic.

U.S. colleges and universities have implemented different procedures to safely welcome international students in person, online, and via hybrid learning methods, providing opportunities and resources to students during a global crisis.

These exemplify the U.S. government's commitment to international student mobility and global higher education, said the embassy here.

Anyone interested in educational opportunities in the US can learn about them through EducationUSA, a global network of over 430 educational advising centers operating in more than 175 countries and territories around the world, said the release.