Latest news with #DeannaBenjamin
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Weekly Updates: US to Kuwait, 7 key immigration and study abroad changes
Immigration weekly update: August 8, 2025: August marks the start of the autumn session for American universities, but for thousands of Indian students, the past week has brought more stress than excitement. While classes are already under way in the US, many are still stuck at home waiting for visas. At the same time, Australia lifted its cap on international students for 2026 by 9 per cent, giving a boost to applicants from Southeast Asia. In Washington, new rules were announced that could see family-based green card applicants facing deportation risks, and a $15,000 visa bond scheme was unveiled for some visitors. The UK is preparing penalties for universities linked to high asylum claims, Switzerland tightened its Schengen visa paperwork rules for Indians, and Kuwait rolled out a new e-Visa system alongside a tourism portal. Here's what changed in the first week of August: 1. US visa passport collection changes From August 1, 2025, the US Embassy in New Delhi stopped allowing third-party passport collection. Every applicant must now collect their passport and documents in person. For applicants under 18, a parent or legal guardian can collect on their behalf, but they must carry an original consent letter signed by both parents. Scanned or emailed copies will not be accepted. Those unable to visit in person can opt for home or office delivery at ₹1,200 per applicant by updating delivery preferences online. (Read here) 2. Family-based green card applicants face new deportation risk A new US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy, effective August 1, 2025, allows officers to deny family-based petitions without issuing a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny. This change means that applicants in the US without legal status, and applying for a green card through a spouse, parent, sibling or child, could be placed directly into deportation proceedings. 'We're hearing about more pro se applicants being denied and then issued Notices to Appear in immigration court,' said Deanna Benjamin, immigration attorney at Boundless. Those most at risk include people who have overstayed visas, lost lawful presence through expired programmes like DACA, or are awaiting consular processing with pending waivers. (Read here) 3. Switzerland Schengen visa paperwork rules tightened VFS Global, which handles Swiss visa applications in India, announced that only documents listed in the official checklist will be accepted from August. Extra papers will be ignored, and for lengthy bank statements, only the first and last three pages will be reviewed. The required documents include a valid passport, recent photo, completed application form, employer introduction letter, proof of travel insurance, confirmed travel bookings, and financial statements. (Read here) 4. UK to penalise universities with high asylum claims From next month, UK universities where fewer than 95 per cent of international students start their courses, or fewer than 90 per cent complete them, could face sanctions. Institutions with more than 5 per cent visa refusals could lose their right to sponsor overseas students. The measures target a rise in students claiming asylum before their visas expire. In 2024, there were 16,000 asylum applications linked to student visa holders, some of whom later accessed taxpayer-funded housing and allowances. (Read here) 5. US to introduce $15,000 visa bond for certain visitors From August 20, 2025, the US could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates or inadequate vetting systems. Consular officers will decide the bond amount—$5,000, $10,000, or $15,000—with $10,000 as the default. The money will be refunded if the traveller departs on time. A State Department spokesperson said countries will be identified based on overstay rates, vetting gaps, and foreign policy considerations. (Read here) 6. US universities start autumn session without thousands of students Visa delays mean many international students, including large numbers from India, are missing the start of term in the US. At Arizona State University, around 1,000 incoming foreign students are still without visas. 'The hit to the school's budget would be in the tens of millions of dollars,' said ASU President Michael Crow. Some universities are allowing affected students to start online or at partner campuses abroad, but others report notable drops in enrolment. A NAFSA report this week said international student applications to US universities have fallen 30–40 per cent. (Read here) 7. Australia raises 2026 student intake cap by 9 per cent Australia will admit up to 295,000 new foreign students in 2026, up from 270,000, with more places going to applicants from Southeast Asia. 'The government has taken tough decisions over the last 12 months, not always loved by the sector, to get the numbers down and get them to a more sustainable footing,' said Julian Hill, assistant minister for international education. Students from China and India remain the largest groups, with nearly 600,000 student visas issued in the 2023 financial year. (Read here) 8. Kuwait launches e-Visa and tourism portal Kuwait has introduced a new online e-Visa system covering tourist (90-day), family visit, business, and official visas, eliminating the need for embassy visits. On August 8, 2025, the country also launched 'Visit Kuwait', an integrated tourism portal offering visa services alongside information on events, culture, and travel planning.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business Standard
Weekly wrap: US to Kuwait, 7 key immigration and study abroad changes
August marks the start of the autumn session for American universities, but for thousands of Indian students, the past week has brought more stress than excitement. While classes are already under way in the US, many are still stuck at home waiting for visas. At the same time, Australia lifted its cap on international students for 2026 by 9 per cent, giving a boost to applicants from Southeast Asia. In Washington, new rules were announced that could see family-based green card applicants facing deportation risks, and a $15,000 visa bond scheme was unveiled for some visitors. The UK is preparing penalties for universities linked to high asylum claims, Switzerland tightened its Schengen visa paperwork rules for Indians, and Kuwait rolled out a new e-Visa system alongside a tourism portal. Here's what changed in the first week of August: 1. US visa passport collection changes From August 1, 2025, the US Embassy in New Delhi stopped allowing third-party passport collection. Every applicant must now collect their passport and documents in person. For applicants under 18, a parent or legal guardian can collect on their behalf, but they must carry an original consent letter signed by both parents. Scanned or emailed copies will not be accepted. Those unable to visit in person can opt for home or office delivery at ₹1,200 per applicant by updating delivery preferences online. (Read here) 2. Family-based green card applicants face new deportation risk A new US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy, effective August 1, 2025, allows officers to deny family-based petitions without issuing a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny. This change means that applicants in the US without legal status, and applying for a green card through a spouse, parent, sibling or child, could be placed directly into deportation proceedings. 'We're hearing about more pro se applicants being denied and then issued Notices to Appear in immigration court,' said Deanna Benjamin, immigration attorney at Boundless. 3. Switzerland Schengen visa paperwork rules tightened VFS Global, which handles Swiss visa applications in India, announced that only documents listed in the official checklist will be accepted from August. Extra papers will be ignored, and for lengthy bank statements, only the first and last three pages will be reviewed. The required documents include a valid passport, recent photo, completed application form, employer introduction letter, proof of travel insurance, confirmed travel bookings, and financial statements. (Read here) 4. UK to penalise universities with high asylum claims From next month, UK universities where fewer than 95 per cent of international students start their courses, or fewer than 90 per cent complete them, could face sanctions. Institutions with more than 5 per cent visa refusals could lose their right to sponsor overseas students. The measures target a rise in students claiming asylum before their visas expire. In 2024, there were 16,000 asylum applications linked to student visa holders, some of whom later accessed taxpayer-funded housing and allowances. (Read here) From August 20, 2025, the US could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates or inadequate vetting systems. Consular officers will decide the bond amount—$5,000, $10,000, or $15,000—with $10,000 as the default. The money will be refunded if the traveller departs on time. A State Department spokesperson said countries will be identified based on overstay rates, vetting gaps, and foreign policy considerations. (Read here) 6. US universities start autumn session without thousands of students Visa delays mean many international students, including large numbers from India, are missing the start of term in the US. At Arizona State University, around 1,000 incoming foreign students are still without visas. 'The hit to the school's budget would be in the tens of millions of dollars,' said ASU President Michael Crow. Some universities are allowing affected students to start online or at partner campuses abroad, but others report notable drops in enrolment. A NAFSA report this week said international student applications to US universities have fallen 30–40 per cent. (Read here) 7. Australia raises 2026 student intake cap by 9 per cent Australia will admit up to 295,000 new foreign students in 2026, up from 270,000, with more places going to applicants from Southeast Asia. 'The government has taken tough decisions over the last 12 months, not always loved by the sector, to get the numbers down and get them to a more sustainable footing,' said Julian Hill, assistant minister for international education. Students from China and India remain the largest groups, with nearly 600,000 student visas issued in the 2023 financial year. (Read here) Kuwait has introduced a new online e-Visa system covering tourist (90-day), family visit, business, and official visas, eliminating the need for embassy visits. On August 8, 2025, the country also launched 'Visit Kuwait', an integrated tourism portal offering visa services alongside information on events, culture, and travel planning.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Green card applicants via family face deportation risk under USCIS rule
If you're in the US without legal status and trying to get a green card through marriage or family, the process just became a lot riskier. From August 1, 2025, a new Trump-era policy gives US immigration officials more discretion to deny applications outright—and in some cases, place the applicant into deportation proceedings. Here's what the new guidance means for families applying through the I-130 process, which is the most common route for getting US permanent residency through a spouse, parent, sibling or child. What has changed in USCIS policy for family-based green card petitions? The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now allows officers to deny family-based petitions without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). Until now, most applicants were given a chance to correct errors or submit missing documents. That's no longer guaranteed. 'We're hearing about more pro se applicants being denied and then issued Notices to Appear in immigration court,' said Deanna Benjamin, an immigration attorney with Boundless, a US-based immigration law firm. 'That's a major change from how these cases were handled in the past.' Can USCIS now place applicants into deportation proceedings? Yes. If someone without legal status in the US applies for a green card through a family member and gets denied, they could now receive a Notice to Appear (NTA)—a formal start to removal proceedings. This applies even if the person is already in the US and trying to legalise their status. According to the updated USCIS policy manual, 'a family-based petition accords no immigration status nor does it bar removal.' 'This is one of the most important avenues that people have to adjust to lawful permanent status in the United States,' Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants' Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School told NBC. 'The new policy is very broad and seems to empower USCIS to begin removal proceedings for a green-card applicant at any point in the process.' Who is most at risk under this policy? Immigrants who are: 1. Already in the US without legal status 2. Trying to legalise through a US citizen or green card holder spouse or relative 3. Awaiting consular processing with a pending waiver application (Form I-601) 4. Have overstayed visas and are now out of status 5. Lost their lawful presence due to expired pathways like DACA or TPS Benjamin warned: 'Families applying on their own, especially those already in the US without status, are most at risk.' How many people are affected by this change? In the first six months of 2025 alone, nearly 520,000 I-130 family-based petitions were filed, according to USCIS. As of June, more than 2.4 million petitions were pending—1.9 million of those had already been in the queue for over six months. The policy change applies not just to new applications, but also to pending ones. Why is the Trump administration doing this? USCIS said, the new policy helps 'ensure integrity in the US immigration system through enhanced screening and vetting.' It said the agency would use the changes to detect and deter immigration fraud. 'Fraudulent, frivolous, or otherwise non-meritorious family-based immigrant visa petitions erode confidence in family-based pathways to lawful permanent resident status,' USCIS said in an alert. 'USCIS must ensure that qualifying marriages and family relationships are genuine, verifiable, and compliant with all applicable laws.' Will this affect people who previously felt safe applying? Yes. Until now, families applying through I-130 did not expect to land in immigration court unless there was criminal history or a clear violation of law. 'No one expected to be put into immigration court during this process,' said Mukherjee. 'Even those doing everything right could now be afraid to apply.' What can applicants do to protect themselves? < Double-check all forms before submission < Ensure supporting documents are complete, especially proof of relationship < Consult a qualified attorney if there is any doubt < Avoid errors or omissions, even minor ones 'People can't afford mistakes anymore,' said Benjamin. 'If you're applying for a green card through a family member, your petition needs to be complete, accurate, and well-documented from the start. There might not be a second chance.'
