The amount of international students in the US is rising again: After a decline in growth following the 2001 9/11 attacks, 723,277 students were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2010-2011 academic year, which means an annual growth of 4,7 percent, according to a report form USA Today. As the newspaper reports, international students and their dependents contributed  $20 billion to the US economy last year.

Although it has become easier to get a visa for studying within the US, many students still face challenges when going through the process: They have to show that they have gathered enough funds to pay for university tuition and living expenses. Moreover, they have to prove that they are not planning to settle in the United States.

Aditya Bir, 27, is from Mumbai, India. Together with his sister, he planned to come to the US in summer 2010. He said that coming to the US is a dream for many students in India. Below you find an interview with Aditya, as he describes the things he observed during his own visa application process.

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/383/files/2011/12/aditya.mp3|titles=aditya]