More US visas for Indian students advocated |
The bilateral trade in education services between India and the US could record exponential growth if the US removes barriers like visa and entry restrictions on the free flow of students. This was stated by a top American business advocacy group. The US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) said in a report that the 2020 Open Doors report on International Educational Exchange highlights that during the 2019-20 academic year, India remained the second largest source of international students in the US. This is despite a 4 percent decline to 193,124 students. India accounts for 18 percent of the total higher education international student community in the US. The Open Doors report was recently released by the US Department of State`s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE). In the report, US-India Higher Education Partnership: A Win-Win Opportunity( USISPF) visualizes tremendous opportunities for the two countries both in the higher education segment as well as trade and investment perspectives. There are mutual gains for both partners, as the US wants to improve its bilateral trade balance with India to save jobs through increased exports. Also India`s young STEM talent recognises the US as one of the best destinations for world-class higher education and professional training opportunities. If visa barriers are addressed, the bilateral trade in education services could record exponential growth. According to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, India is the second-highest country of origin for foreign students in the US and has been so consecutively for ten years. The pre-pandemic trend was also evident in the bilateral trade statistics, which captures spending on educational travel between the two countries. From 2015 to 2019, the amount spent by Indian students on educational travel to the US rose by 45 percent, to nearly USD 7.7 billion.
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