U.S. Embassy Dhaka interviewed over 600 students applying for nonimmigrant student visas on a special workday called “Super Friday.” This event is part of a campaign to allow the Embassy to meet the high demand for such visas. Although the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted international educational exchange and student mobility around the world, U.S. Embassy in Dhaka has resumed regular consular services and is making special efforts to ensure as many students as possible receive interviews before the start of the fall semester. These special efforts include spending selected Fridays dedicated to interviewing applicants for student visas. “We recognize the unique opportunity that study in the United States offers,” said U.S. Embassy Consul General William Dowers, “and we are prioritizing student visa interviews.” U.S. Embassy Dhaka plans to have another Super Friday on Friday, July 29, 2022.
The United States remains a popular destination for higher education. During the 2020-2021 academic year, it welcomed over 914,000 international students from over 200 places of origin. International students build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow America’s international partnerships and to collectively address current and future global challenges. In the last decade, 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 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.
Anyone interested in educational opportunities in the United States 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. These centers aim to provide students in Bangladesh and other countries access to accurate, comprehensive, and current information on U.S. higher education opportunities. Centers are staffed by trained advisors who are ready to connect students with a wealth of information about U.S. colleges and universities. Advisers are offering virtual one-on-one and group advising sessions, webinars, virtual college fairs, and an enhanced social media presence, and they can help connect Bangladeshi students to U.S. colleges and universities to obtain the answers they are looking for. They will answer questions about studying in the United States and help students find the right institution to achieve their academic and personal goals. They can also help explain the Optional Practical Training, which allows many students to stay in the United States for a period after earning a degree to get work experience in their field. You can find more information at educationusa.state.gov or through the U.S. Embassy website (bd.usembassy.gov).