The USA, which is included in the list of the top 10 universities in the world with 7 educational institutions, also attracts great attention in the field of educational tourism. Just like their peers in the world, Turkish students primarily prefer America, which is known as the land of opportunities, in order to receive education. Despite the decrease in demand during the pandemic, there is a 4% increase in the number of students this year.
Students from many countries of the world prefer universities in the United States (USA) for a quality education. According to Open Doors data, 20 years ago, the number of foreign undergraduate students studying in the USA was 260 thousand 848, and the number of graduate students was 244 thousand 398. This number has almost doubled in the intervening 20 years. In the 2021/2022 academic year, the number of foreign students studying in the USA is recorded as 344 thousand 532 in undergraduate education and 385 thousand 097 in graduate education. When the 184 thousand 759 optional applied education and 34 thousand 131 students without a bachelor's degree are added, the number of foreign students studying in the USA is approaching 1 million.
Chicago-based consultancy company One Key Visa General Manager Ashkan Kheirkahvash, stating that the popularity of US universities among Turkish students is quite high, draws attention to the fact that there have been problems with visa issues recently. Explaining that the reasons such as quality education, high social life opportunities and satisfactory post-graduate job opportunities are effective in this preference of Turkish students, Ashkan Kheirkahvash said, “According to the data compiled by the International Education Institute (IEE), Turkish students who continue their education life in the USA in 2021. The number of students was 8. With the disappearance of the effects of the pandemic from our lives, this number increased by about 109 percent in the 2022-2023 period. It is estimated that this acceleration will accelerate in the coming years.”
“It has become difficult to get a US visa”
The negative news in the press recently and the social media posts of people applying for a visa to the USA that their "application was denied" are worrying Turkish students who dream of studying abroad. The possibility of visa refusal after a lengthy paperwork process and various fees paid increases the demand for the services of consulting companies.
Making evaluations about the visa processes of students who want to study in the USA, Ashkan Kheirkahvash, General Manager of One Key Visa, said, “The USA, which is known as the country of opportunities, is also in high demand in the field of educational tourism from all over the world. Naturally, when you apply for a visa to study in the USA, you face a rigorous screening process. The F-1 visa, also called a student visa, is the key to entry into the United States for many students. Moreover, thanks to this visa, students who come to the USA and complete their education can apply for other visas and continue to live in the USA if the result is positive.
“We are rehearsing an interview with the former visa officer”
Underlining that the service they provide is not limited to only helping to collect documents, Ashkan Kheirkahvash detailed their support for the visa process as follows:
“As One Key Visa, we provide consultancy services with our professional team, including our friends who have served in the US diplomatic mission, during this long and frightening process for students. With 14 years of experience, we handle the entire application process of students from A to Z. Students are rehearsing interviews with our friend, who was in our team and worked as a visa officer before. Thus, we enable students to experience this exciting moment and realize their shortcomings.”