US visa delays for students: India takes up issue with State Dept, Embassy
The Ministry was asked whether the government is aware of US student visa issues being faced by prospective Indian students, according to the PTI report.Indian students make up the largest cohort of international students in the US, which makes Indian students important for the US.Notably, a bipartisan group of 14 US lawmakers, including three Indian-American Democrats, has also urged the State Department to address delays in student visa appointments affecting Indian students. The lawmakers, led by Congresswoman Deborah Ross, in the letter, emphasised that Indian students contribute approximately $9 billion annually to the US economy and play a vital role in advancing research and innovation.The Trump administration in May ordered all of its consulates worldwide to stop new student visa interviews and applications for exchange visitor visas. Following a two-month pause, the US State Department resumed processing of student visa applications last month."On 18 June 2025, the US Department of State (DOS) issued a press release titled 'Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants'. In the said press release, DOS stated that it uses all available information in its visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security," PTI quoted the minister as saying.Under the new guidelines, the US would conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.The US authorities urged all student visa applicants to make their social media accounts public for background checks.Social media vetting involves scrutinising an applicant's online activity to assess their eligibility for entry. American officials will review the social media profiles of prospective students to determine whether they should be allowed to study at U.S. institutions.INDIAN STUDENTS, FAMILIES HAVE RAISED CONCERN OVER US VISA: KIRTI VARDHAN SINGHadvertisementMoS for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that after the expansion of screening and vetting measures, many Indian students and families flagged the visa issue."Following these developments, the Ministry of External Affairs has received several representations from Indian students and their families flagging difficulty in obtaining student visa appointments. The Ministry took up the matter with the US Embassy in New Delhi as well as the US Department of State," Singh said.While the issuance of visa is a sovereign prerogative of the state concerned, the MEA has "consistently raised" with the US Embassy in New Delhi as well as the US State Department in Washington DC the issues being faced by prospective Indian students in obtaining US visas, he added."The Government of India remains engaged with the US Government to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel," PTI quoted Singh as saying.MEA ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN USIn a written response to a separate query, the MoS said the Indian government remains engaged with authorities in the United States on "addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking by taking strong action against the bad actors, criminal facilitators, and illegal immigration networks," PTI reported.advertisementThe Ministry issues advisories through the eMigrate portal, social media handles, and other modes of publicity about the perils of fake job rackets and ways to prevent the same, according to the report."Till June 2025, a total of 3,505 illegal agents in the country have been notified on the eMigrate portal," PTI quoted Singh as saying.- Ends
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