Latest news with #Kapurthala-based
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
US pause on student visa appointments: How this impacts Indian students
The Trump administration on Tuesday (May 27) directed American embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visas, even as the US State Department prepares to expand social media screening of international students. 'We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting,' the State Department said in a statement. While the statement has not specified what material could be seen as objectionable, visa applicants have been asked to provide social media information dating back to 2019 on their forms. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's order comes amidst the Trump administration's punitive targeting of Harvard University for failing to control purported 'antisemitic' speech and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. This is also the latest move in the broader crackdown on immigration, efforts to tighten immigration policies, including increased deportations and the cancellation of student visas. This move has spurred anxiety among Indian students seeking to emigrate to the US in pursuit of higher education. The United States offers a vast range of opportunities with over 4,000 educational institutions, most of which offer four-year degree programs. While many US institutions do not require IELTS scores, students are still required to prove their proficiency in English. US officials have also actively organised educational events across India to promote American universities and attract more Indian students. Education consultants have identified the surge in Indian students seeking the US for higher studies in recent years as a fallout of changes in the immigration policies of Canada, Australia and the UK. In 2024, Canada introduced a cap on the number of international students, making it harder for many to gain admission. Both Australia and the UK have tightened their student visa rules, making the US a more attractive and stable option. Gurpreet Singh, a Kapurthala-based education consultant specialising in study abroad programs for Canada, the US, and Europe, said, 'Visa policies in Canada are becoming increasingly strict. Meanwhile, the US visa approval rate, which used to be just 15-20%, has improved significantly in recent years.' Singh added, 'The US has always been viewed as a land of opportunity or an 'earning heaven' by many.' For students, the US presents advantages like relatively affordable housing, milder weather compared to Canada, and flexible tuition payment options, with fees often due only on joining the institution. How many Indian students go to the US each year? In recent years, the number of Indian students choosing the US for higher education has sharply increased. The US is now second only to Canada in hosting Indian students. According to American embassy sources, the US Mission to India issued more student visas over the last five years compared to 2018, 2019, and 2020, when the combined number was less than one lakh student visas. A total of 115,115 and 130,730 student visas were granted to Indian students in 2022 and 2023, respectively, for admission to various American institutions. Although the number dropped to 86,110 in 2024, India still ranked first in terms of student visas issued, ahead of China, which had about 82,000. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply during the 2024 Monsoon Session of Parliament, provided updated data on Indian students studying abroad. Out of 1,335,878 Indian students abroad in 2024, around 427,000 were in Canada and 337,630 were in the US, making it the second most preferred destination.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Kapurthala farmer loses over ₹11 lakh in a digital arrest fraud case
Jalandhar A Kapurthala-based farmer has been duped of ₹11.75 lakh after the victim and his wife was kept under 'digital' arrest for nearly 24 hours. Police have registered an FIR under sections of cheating and cybercrime against the unidentified persons on the complaint of Joginder Singh on May 21. In his complaint, Joginder alleged that his wife received a phone call from a foreign number and the caller told that their son, who is settled in Canada, had met with an accident in which he and another person suffered serious injuries on May 13. 'The caller told us that the legal action had been initiated against his son as he was found to be responsible for the mishap. We received repeated calls from different foreign numbers and the callers asked us to not contact anyone, else action would be taken against my son,' he said. The victim further alleged that the callers asked them to deposit ₹6.25 lakh in one of the bank accounts, while ₹5 lakh in another. 'Fearing for our son's life, we didn't inform about the incident to anyone and deposited the amount. We came to know about the cheating later when our son made video call in which he was looking fine. We narrated the whole incident to him, and he told us to immediately inform the police,' Joginder said.
