Student-visa seekers make a beeline for US consulate

F1J1HellmanGraimesActing consul-chief Aaron Hellman said most student applications received are for master's degree programmes. "Students are growing increasingly HellmanPublic affairs officer Anne Graimes assured students that campus safety is an important factor at US colleges. "There are several measures taken into account when looking at the safety of a campus," said Graimes. "Some colleges have their own security force and are easily accessible by studentsRamrakhiyaAashnaDesaiDesaiDesaiHellman said the visa application process for students was revamped recently to simplify it for candidates. "We introduced an offsite center for the applicants to finish the initial process of visa application and we have also introduced a one-time fee process, so that students don't end up paying fees at different phases," said Hellman. He added that the consulate has also introduced an interview waiver program for selected students. The Consulate has started initiatives to advocate the application process as well as to address safety and academic concerns that students may have. The outreach program involves the active participation of US universities that visit India in order to build on academic databases available to prospective students