Report reveals USA issued highest-ever student visa to Nigerians in 2022

A new study has revealed that in 2022, the United States granted Nigeria and Ghana the most student visas ever.

According to data from the US Department of State, the Canadian educational organisation ApplyBoard, on July 18, 2023, said that more F1 visas were granted to African students in 2022 than at any other time in history.

Those who are enrolled in an academic programme or pursuing a full-time degree at a US university typically receive an F1 visa.

“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,” the report said.

“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.”

Read Also: UK officially announces plan to stop Nigerians from bringing families with study visas

According to The Voice of America, more than 30,700 visas were granted to students from Africa in 2022, up from the 23,229 figures for the preceding fiscal year.

Additionally, the report revealed that 21,037 visas were awarded to students from Africa in 2018.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the US only issued 7,333 student visas to Africa in 2020 compared to 20,165 in 2019.

In 2022, the US issued over 411,000 student visas, a 15% increase over 2021’s total of 357,839 visas.

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